Seeking comfort
by DevilTito
Summary: After the recent villain attacks, Izuku finds out about Uraraka's nightmares and despite his own troubles, he tries his best to help her. Turns out they were both seeking comfort from one another. SPOILER: Set after chapter 98 in the manga. Slow Izuku x Ochaco development.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:The idea for this fic just sprung to mind all of a sudden and I wanted to see where I could get with it. It is set after Class A move into the dorms at U.A., so beware of spoilers!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.**

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 _Seeking comfort_

It had been over a week now since Izuku started waking up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. Usually he would be covered in sweat, left as a mark of his constant nightmares. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Midoriya Izuku was frequently suffering from nightmares. In his dreams, he would most often see his friends and his mom captured and tortured by villains while he was forced to watch. Other times, he would dream that All Might was suffering a slow and painful death, while he could do nothing to help and sometimes the dreams would be about himself.

Those dreams were in some way the worst. Not that the dreams about his friends didn't leave him shaking and unable to function for hours at a time, but his fear of his and All Might's secret being discovered was on a whole other level. He was scared of what would happen. How would he be able to protect those dear to him, if something happened to him? Izuku would always wake up and let One for All course through him, and let the feeling of immense power at his disposal lull him into a sense of security.

This time, he had relived the training camp, but his arms had been severed off and he could do nothing as his classmates were murdered in cold blood. Izuku felt sick to his stomach and decided to get a glass of water for his parched throat. The sweat made his clothes stick to him and for a few moments he debated whether to go downstairs and take a shower or just change once he stopped sweating. Finally, after he had downed a glass of ice cold water he kept in his fridge, he rummaged around for a clean t-shirt and another pair of shorts.

A few minutes later Izuku found himself creeping down the hallway and heading for the elevator. He tried his best to make no sounds and prayed to the gods that he didn't wake up Tokoyami or Aoyama. Or even worse, Mineta. The perverted teenager would most definitely insinuate that he was trying to break into the girls room, or harass him about why Izuku was showering in the middle of the night. He didn't feel like being questioned by Tokoyami either and just hurried along to hallway. Luckily no one came charging at him, demanding where he was going at this time of the night.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he pressed the button for the elevator and waited patiently. The dorm was so peaceful at this time and Izuku found himself hoping he could spend his nights as calmly as he felt now. The fear that usually lingered after his nightmares had dissipated and didn't feel as tense any more. The elevator doors opened with a ding and closed again after he entered. Izuku rolled his shoulders while he waited for the doors to open again.

' _Maybe I should go running when I wake up.'_ He was seriously considering exercising despite knowing how exhausted he was going to be come morning. He finally exited the elevator and headed straight for the baths.

That was another thing Izuku had started doing lately; relieving stress through exercise and training. He wasn't pushing himself, he knew that his teachers all kept a close eye on him and he honestly didn't want to make anyone worry. He just wanted to burn off some excess energy and clear his head. Izuku decided that he would see how he felt in the morning.

Once Izuku reached the bath, he stripped down and jumped into the nearest shower cubicle. He waited for a second while the water warmed up and then stepped under the jet of hot water. Another sigh of relief left him as he washed away all his worries. The water felt great as it ran down his shoulders and back, loosening up his stiff muscles.

' _It was just a dream. I'm safe here. We even have guards outside the building, nothing can happen here.'_ Izuku repeated to himself, soaking in the warmth of the water. He quickly rinsed his hair and body, but stayed under the running water for a couple more minutes. He was finally calm again.

Once dressed, Izuku headed back into the lounge area and stopped short when he noticed a familiar head of brown hair sitting in one of the sofas. Not wanting to scare her, Izuku approached from the side where Uraraka could easily spot him softly calling her name.

"Uraraka-san? Are you all right?" His concern for her grew when he saw that her knees were tucked close to her chest and her body was trembling slightly. She hadn't heard him yet, so he cautiously reached out a hand to touch her shoulder. Normally, he wouldn't have initiated physical contact and would just wait for her to reply, but her unresponsiveness was worrying him. The second Izuku's hand made contact with her skin, she jumped and let out a startled noise. Her eyes darted up to his and the sight made his heart ache. She was scared.

"A-ah, Deku-kun! I didn't hear you, sorry." She mumbled her apology and looked away rather stiffly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. Is something wrong?" Izuku tried again and waited for her answer. He could tell that she was upset and needed to talk to someone, but he didn't want to pressure her into talking.

"I, uh, couldn't sleep so I came down here." Her usual cheeriness was back, but Izuku could tell right away that it was forced. She was trying to be brave and not worry him, but he could see the uneasiness right below the surface.

"I couldn't sleep either." Izuku offered a small smile hoping Uraraka would see it as an invitation to continue the conversation. For a second he thought she wasn't going to reply, but when she finally did he wasn't put at easy anyhow.

"I see." Uraraka returned to her previous position and hugged her knees close to her, protecting herself. Izuku decided to stay with her for a while and make sure she was okay. It was late and she should really be getting some sleep. Sitting down on the sofa next to her with a good bit of space between them, Izuku wondered how to get the conversation started. He opted for a direct approach.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked softly. From her stiffening of her body Izuku guessed that he was right. She seemed to struggle with herself on whether to admit it or not and finally gave up with a sigh. She nodded mutely.

"Me too."

They were quiet for a few minutes, letting the silence engulf them. Only one of the small lamps near the TV was on, and its light was so weak that they could barely see each other. Izuku was fine with it being dark. That way, he wouldn't continuously glance in his friend's direction. Uraraka shifted slightly on the sofa, still not looking directly at him.

"I've been having them for a few days now. Once I wake up, I can't go back to sleep." Her voice was low, barely above a whisper, but he caught every word of it.

"Have you been coming down here every time?" Izuku wondered how many hours of sleep she had missed this week. Now that he thought about it, she had been awfully tired when they had classes and had barely been able to focus.

"No, just today." Her reply told him that she usually stayed in her room, alone and wide awake. Izuku tried not to let it get to him – he did the same exact thing very often.

"My mom used to say that there was only one way to chase away a bad dream. Hot chocolate." Izuku remembered all the times he would wake up and run to his mom's bed when he was little. She would always comfort him and make hot chocolate for both of them, before staying with him until he fell asleep. Right now, he was hoping to give Uraraka some of that same comfort. Judging by how she perked up, it seemed like it had worked. Izuku offered to make some and she gratefully accepted.

They had settled into the kitchen and Izuku was rummaging around for the ingredients he needed. The kitchen was rather large and held personal cupboards for every resident along one wall and four large refrigerators that were stocked up twice a week by U.A. on the opposite. Four long kitchen stations, like the ones seen in competitive cooking shows, were aligned in two rows in the middle of the room and beyond those were dining tables.

It had been a while since Izuku had made hot chocolate and he was a little nervous about the outcome, but he was determined to whip up an amazing beverage for Uraraka. She had stopped trembling, but her expression was still somber. She was occupying one of the chairs that she had dragged in front of the counter Izuku was working at. She hadn't mentioned the source of her nightmares, but Izuku was nearly certain they originated from all the villain attacks.

"My mom would always put marshmallows in my cup, but I don't think we have any here." Izuku mumbled as he stirred the pot with warmed up milk. He tried looking for whipped cream or sprinkles, anything really that could go into the hot chocolate, but he didn't find any.

"That's okay." Uraraka whispered meekly. Her face wasn't as pale as earlier, but she still looked a bit frazzled. Izuku frowned as he observed her for a few moments. She was really starting to worry him and he sincerely hoped the hot chocolate would improve her mood.

"Mom also says that it helps to talk to someone about your bad dreams." Izuku gauged her reaction carefully. She looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it and shook her head instead. Izuku interpreted that she didn't want to talk about it, so he racked his brain for a way to change the subject, but she beat him to the punch.

"You must be close with your mother." Uraraka finally looked Izuku in the eyes, a hint of curiosity in her voice. He nodded with a small smile and sifted in the cocoa powder along with a chunk of butter. Adding sugar and a pinch of salt, Izuku handed Uraraka a steaming mug and grabbed one for himself as well. It had been a little over half an hour since he ran into her, and the exhaustion was easy to spot on her face.

"It's always been me and my mom. I didn't really have any friends before now, so she was my go-to person." Izuku admitted sheepishly. He was glad that he had a good relationship with his mother and he was proud of the way she had raised him.

"Do you miss your parents, Uraraka-san?" The thought had occurred to him when he first spoke of his mom. Uraraka had been living alone for a while now, but surely she had some way of getting comforted by her parents that she was missing now.

"…Yes." Her voice was low, so Izuku guessed that her nightmare had been about them. She took a slow sip from her mug and her eyes shot open.

"This is amazing, Deku-kun!" She took another sip and let the taste linger for a while. She had felt so cold just minutes before, but now she was starting to heat up from inside.

"This is my mom's secret ingredient hot chocolate." He explained as he took a large gulp of his own. It had turned out good, but his mom's was even better. Maybe he should bring Uraraka to his mom's house and have her try the original drink.

"It's yummy." Uraraka cupped her hands around the mug and warmed her fingertips. Taking a few more sips, she looked over at her companion who was staring intently into his mug. If Uraraka were to guess, she would say that Izuku was picking apart the recipe in his mind and adding twists to it.

"You're mumbling inside your head again, aren't you?" She asked and a genuine smile finally crept onto her face. Izuku's eyes snapped up and his cheeks flushed a bit from embarrassment, but his features relaxed when he saw Uraraka's smile.

"It's an old habit." He sheepishly laughed, glad that she was seemingly feeling better. Then it was her turn to stare into her now empty mug.

"What's the secret ingredient?" She had tried to figure it out because it tasted familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was.

"Peanut butter." Izuku beamed at her and launched into an explanation of how the mono-saturated fat was better for the health compared to other fats and how peanut butter was filling and high in protein, so it was actually a very versatile ingredient and he preferred it as a snack together with some vegetable sticks.

"Thank you." Uraraka stopped his rambling by patting his hand affectionately. She was feeling a lot better and she was so grateful that Izuku had stayed with her instead of leaving her alone.

"Y-you're welcome! It's what anybody would have done..." He answered, face flushing again. Uraraka found that Izuku easily got embarrassed when he received praise, but she liked this humble and flustered side of him.

A yawn escaped her and she realized just how late it was. Luckily, they didn't have classes the following morning, so she could sleep in. Izuku saw her yawning and started to clean up as fast as he could without making too much noise. He knew that it was unlikely that anyone would hear him from a floor below, but it felt odd to make noise in the middle of the night.

Uraraka jumped off her seat and quickly helped him put things away after washing them. They were quiet while they worked, but neither of them minded. After they tidied up the kitchen, they headed for the elevator to return upstairs. Izuku stopped a few meters away from the doors and looked up at her with something like determination in his eyes.

"Uraraka-san, when you have nightmares and don't want to be alone, you can always text me. I know what it feels like to be terrified of falling back asleep, so it's okay to depend on me and the others. Even if you just want to sit beside someone without talking, just come find me and I'll be there." Uraraka was surprised that Izuku's voice had been clear and he hadn't stuttered once. Then she realized what he had said to her and she was overwhelmed with emotions.

Izuku seemed to notice it as well and immediately regretted opening his mouth. He had wanted to reassure her that she wasn't alone, not make her feel bad about having nightmares. He started panicking and tried to talk his way out of it, but he noticed that she wasn't mad at him or upset. She just looked taken back.

"I… Thank you, Deku-kun. I'll try." Her voice cracked at the end. She didn't deserve such an amazing friend, but she would always appreciate him, she promised herself.

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 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, faves and follows! I am having so much fun writing this story and I hope that you will continue to read it. A couple of comments: for the guest who reviewed; hugs are coming soon. Patience, young grasshopper :p Karlos1234ify, killerhero332 and SirJanStark; Thank you! I am glad you liked it. It's Hawx: Ask and you shall receive :p**

 **ALSO, English is my 3rd language, so please do let me know if you spot any weird phrasing or mistakes. Enjoy!**

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When Izuku had returned to his room he couldn't stop thinking about Uraraka's nightmares. He knew that the two of them weren't the only ones affected, but none of the others had spoken up about having nightmares or other problems so maybe they were handling it themselves. Back to the problem at hand, Izuku was contemplating what he could do for Uraraka. He hadn't really confided in anyone about his own nightmares, so it was unlikely that she was going to accept professional help. Well, at least not right away.

' _There must be something I can do for Uraraka-san…'_ Izuku racked his brain for so long that he actually fell back asleep for what felt like an hour, but turned out to be five.

The next time he woke, sunlight was filtering in through the window and his clock read 7:32 AM. Rubbing his tired eyes, Izuku sat up in bed and yawned. He had slept fine the second time around and the solid five hours had left him feeling more refreshed than he would have thought. As he swung his legs out of bed, he grabbed for his phone to check if his mom had texted him as she usually did and he was surprised to see an additional text from Uraraka.

 _Thanks for staying up with me last night. The hot chocolate made me fall right back asleep!_ As always her text included various emojis and left a smile on Izuku's face. Then it suddenly occurred to him why he had been so affected by Uraraka's behavior that night. She was usually so expressive in anything she did, so it had freaked him out a little that she had been almost stone-faced. Izuku shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and typed a quick reply before getting up and starting his day.

On his days off, he would usually visit his mom and even spend the night at home, so the green-haired teenager got dressed for his morning workout and headed downstairs to see if any of his friends were up yet. He usually worked out first thing in the morning and then ate a big, healthy breakfast. Lately Iida had joined him on his morning runs, where he tried to match Izuku's pace, or rather, where Izuku tried to keep up with the engine quirk user. They had been practicing cutting corners at high speeds and the class president was slowly, but steadily improving.

' _Maybe I should ask Uraraka-san to join us. The extra exercise might be able to help her sleep better.'_ Izuku was waiting patiently for the elevator to arrive while going over his workout routine in his head. He was supposed to report his progress on quirk control to All Might the following day and had planned to hit the gym after his run. The elevator finally dinged open and he left the floor and was out the door after greeting the few early risers.

After a successful workout, Izuku returned to his room and showered. Their personal bathrooms weren't the most spacious so he preferred showering in the shared bath, but after an intense workout he would rather wash up in the privacy of his own room.

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Meanwhile Uraraka had been having breakfast with the rest of the girls save for Mina, who was a heavy sleeper. She had woken up when her stomach had growled loudly and demanded a sacrifice, so she had groggily gotten out of bed and started her morning routine. She had grabbed some yoghurt from her fridge and finished it while she read the news and checked her social media.

Ochaco had forgotten to check the daily coupons and weekly deals before bed last night, so she was absentmindedly scrolling through her favorite money saver app. She rose to check the contents of her fridge and decided to buy some groceries later that day, but first she would gather up some of the girls and see if anyone wanted to join her. Ochaco's shoulders still felt stiff from the previous night and she rolled them a few times to loosen them up. She could really use a massage.

She had slept better than expected despite having been up half the night. Ochaco remembered the hot chocolate Midoriya had made for her and decided she would buy some peanut butter and try to recreate it. That way she could treat him to some of her own if she ever returned the favor. She felt a rush of warmth as she recalled the worried glances he had sent her, she really was lucky to have such an amazing friend. Not only had he been worried about her, he had also stayed and taken care of her even though he didn't know what to do for her. She had been grateful for the company and had slowly forgotten her dreams and just listened to him talk.

Ochaco unlocked her phone and texted him, hoping that he wasn't woken by her text. It was a little past 7 in the morning so it wouldn't have come as a surprise if he was still asleep. The brunette assumed that was the case since he didn't reply within ten minutes. She had already changed and was about to fix her hair when her phone buzzed.

 _You're welcome. Let me know if I can do anything for you. I mean it!_ Ochaco smiled at her phone and hummed a tune as she left her bedroom in search of a proper meal. Once she was downstairs, she joined Momo and Tooru who were already eating and greeted the others who were present. Kirishima was one of the few early risers and as always, he greeted Ochaco energetically. He was busy watching a show on the TV and she didn't want to disturb him while he had the TV to himself, so Ochaco had busied herself with preparing her meal.

She had only just grabbed some food and sat down when Midoriya walked by and greeted everyone. He sent her a warm smile before hurrying out the door to start his workout. Ever since they had moved into the dorms, he had been very consistent with his training.

"Always the diligent worker, isn't he?" Momo watched her dorky classmate leave and returned her attention to her half-eaten breakfast. She wondered if Midoriya ever skipped a workout or just rescheduled his entire day to get one in.

"Makes me feel like I don't do enough." Ochaco sheepishly admitted. She had really admired Midoriya's spirit and work ethic and honestly felt like she was lacking determination.

"I know," Momo chuckled, "he was so busy preparing for the provisional exam that he forgot his own birthday three weeks ago." Being vice president for Class A meant that Momo knew a lot of personal information about each of the students. She had, of course, obtained a lot of that info by befriending the class, but birthdays and the like she knew from her position.

"…Birthday? _Birthday!_ How could I forget?!" Ochaco nearly smacked herself. She had been so busy with exams, settling in, _nightmares_ , internships and 100 other things that she completely forgot about his birthday. She was supposed to be one of his best friends for crying out loud!

"Uraraka-san, you've had a lot on your mind. I'm sure Midoriya-san knows that too." Momo tried to reassure her, suddenly feeling bad for bringing up his birthday. Uraraka looked bewildered and the vice president could almost hear the gears turning in her head.

"I know! But Deku-kun always goes out of his way to help others and I want to do something nice for him." Ochaco had thought of what present to get him in less than 30 seconds, now she was trying to determine whether she should get him a cake or maybe bake him one? Also, should she enlist the help of Midoriya's other friends or should she just do it by herself? The questions popped up in her head faster than she could answer any of them.

Ochaco's head was spinning and the fatigue from her nightmares was starting to take its toll on her. She hadn't even noticed how tired she was feeling, but she had to hurry up and decide what to do. She knew Midoriya was going to visit his mother later, so she could always surprise him when he came back. Ochaco thought about her options and decided that she would surprise him by herself. 1) She didn't want to risk him getting overwhelmed by having so many people suddenly celebrate him. 2) She wanted to repay him for his kindness and all the support he gave her.

"Alright! I know what to do!" Ochaco steeled herself and hurriedly finished her food before finding a pen and paper so she could write down what she needed to do.

* * *

Izuku was sitting on the couch with his mom after having spent most of the day back home. Inko had been adamant that he visit whenever he could, but only if his homework was already completed. She wanted Izuku to push himself academically, but she also wanted to see him as often as she could. She wouldn't outright tell him, but she missed him so badly. Inko had felt incredibly lonely after Izuku moved out, but she didn't want to burden him with such feelings. She just wanted to support her baby.

"Izuku? Is something on your mind?" She had asked him after dinner. He had been his usual happy self, but sometimes a worried look would creep onto his face, but he would quickly dismiss it.

"Ah, um, I guess?" Izuku briefly considered telling his mom about Uraraka's nightmares, but if she found out what they stemmed from, she would figure out that Izuku also had them and she would forbid him from staying at U.A. Well, maybe not, but she would find him a therapist and have him undergo treatment. Also, he didn't want to betray Uraraka's trust, so he stalled.

"Mom, do you have some more recipes for quick and healthy meals? I've been making the same two dishes the whole week and I would like more options." It was not a lie that he had wanted to ask about recipes, he wholeheartedly missed his mom's cooking, but that wasn't what had been on his mind. He felt a little bad about not being honest with her and he desperately wanted her advice on his situation, but he decided he would wait until Uraraka approved. He hoped she would, his mom gave excellent advice and maybe Uraraka would be willing to meet with her and then have 'an adult' to talk to.

"Of course! How have you been keeping up with your meal plan?" Inko got up from the sofa and hurried into the kitchen where she stashed all her cookbooks and personal recipe collections. She even had one from when Izuku was in pre-school and it was filled with 5-year old Izuku's favorite dishes.

"Iida-kun suggested that we each cover our own breakfasts and lunches, but for dinner we could form teams of four and each team could prepare dinner for the rest once a week. That way, we get a more balanced diet instead of having pizza delivered every other day and we also get to strengthen our bonds and teamwork. On weekends we can make whatever we want, but Iida-kun and Yaoyorozu-san, the vice president, are compiling some ideas for those that actually want to cook for themselves and I thought I could pitch in with some of your recipes." His stream of words finally came to an end and Inko looked at him, beaming with pride.

"It sounds like you all get along well." Inko smiled lovingly. She was so happy that Izuku finally had _real_ friends that understood him and helped him every day. She could easily see how much his friends had impacted him; he was much more comfortable around people and although his nervousness still hadn't faded completely, he was able to live with his class.

"Yes! It's surprisingly fun to live together. Ah, but that doesn't mean my friends have replaced you mom!" Izuku backpedaled quickly, even though he knew his mom didn't think like that. He still had a guilty conscience when it came to his mom, and he would be damned if he let her think she didn't matter to him! Inko was a little surprised that he was so earnest. She couldn't help but feel another surge of pride when she looked at her son – he was growing up to become a fine man. A fine man who would miss the train back to the dorm if he didn't hurry up.

Izuku had arrived back at the dorm in the evening. He was happy that he had spent the day at home, but he was also glad to be back. The dorm was really starting to feel like home these past few weeks. He could hear heated arguments coming from the TV lounge and he walked over, a little curious to find out what the commotion was about. He was surprised to find most of the boys gathered, all focused on the TV screen. It took Izuku a second to figure out that they were playing videogames and from the sound of it someone was cheating. Kirishima and Sero were each holding a controller and were more or less smashing the control buttons while screaming profanities at each other and the game.

The rest of the boys were just as lively and were either arguing about superior techniques or complaining that it was their turn to play in the tournament. Kaminari noticed him approach and quickly waved him over, asking him to join.

"Why is there a scorch mark on the coffee table?" Faint traces of burnt wood reached his nose and Izuku already had a guess to what had caused them.

"Oh, Blasty McSplode got his ass handed to him by Sero, so he is sulking in his room." Izuku couldn't believe his own ears. He almost wished he had seen how it happened, but when he thought about Kacchan's temper, he was glad he hadn't witnessed it. Kirishima's sudden yell of outrage indicated that he had lost the match.

"Come on Midoriya! It's your turn against Sero." Kaminari tried persuading him despite Izuku's protests that he sucked at videogames. Putting his stuff down, he finally gave in and after receiving a rundown of the game and how to play, he tentatively played against Sero. The tape user was skilled, but Izuku's ability to analyze situations and think up strategies on the spot was unrivalled. After losing the first round of the match, Izuku wiped the floor with Sero in the second one and only lost the final round after he accidentally pressed the wrong button. Sero won by a hair and sighed in relief when his victory was announced. Sweat had gathered on his forehead and he wiped it away while asking Izuku how he had taught up his combinations.

"Midoriya loses, next up is Tokoyami!" Kaminari announced, having taken on the role of a commentator for the tournament. Izuku removed himself from the scene and went to pick his bag up. Tokoyami took Izuku's seat and turned his attention to the match.

"Is Sero the champion?" Izuku asked. It seemed that half of the boys from the class had lost to Sero judging from how they cheered when Tokoyami landed a powerful hit.

"Among the boys, yeah. No one comes close to beating Hagakure. You can't even see what combos she uses before you have been crushed." Kaminari replied, his eyes still glued to the screen.

They had all been astonished when Hagakure and Jiro had joined the tournament earlier in the evening, but the invisible girl had taken advantage of her quirk and eradicated all her opponents in a breeze. After several rematches, the girls had left to join the other females in the class and a new tournament had started.

Izuku stayed for a few more minutes, amazed at how well Tokoyami held his own against the current champion. Then he remembered that he had to refrigerate the leftovers his mom had handed him, so he made his way upstairs to his room. It was already dark out and Izuku considered turning in early, but his decision was put off when Uraraka texted him, asking if he was back yet. She apparently had something to show him.

Two minutes later, there was a knock on his door and he let the gravity manipulator in. She was carrying a white box and another package wrapped in sparkly paper. Izuku was confused, but waited for her to sit down and explain.

"What did you want to show me?" He asked curiously, guessing it had something to do with the boxes in her arms. She placed the white box on his table and pushed the smaller package toward him.

"Well, earlier today it struck me that we never celebrated your birthday because of the provisional license exam, so I thought we could celebrate today!" Ochaco conveniently left out that she had forgotten all about it and removed the lid from the white box, which revealed a birthday cake complete with frosting and the number 16 writing with chocolate on it.

Izuku's mind went blank.

* * *

 _Bonus_

"Yaomomo?" It had been a few hours after breakfast when Ochaco came up to the vice president. Momo looked up from her book and noticed that Uraraka had a few specks of flour spattered across her cheek and sleeve.

"Yes?" Uraraka was looking intently at her and it was a little unnerving, if she was entirely honest.

"Your quirk allows you to create things you know the molecular makeup of, right?" The gravity user asked, intensity in her eyes increasing.

"That's correct. Why?" Momo couldn't contain her curiousity any longer. Had Uraraka spotted some weakness she might have?

"Well, if you knew the makeup of food or dessert, would you be able to create it? And would it be edible?" Uraraka asked and her question shocked Momo.

"Theoretically speaking, yes, but I don't think it would be edible. There are a lot of food additives and aromas that need to be accounted for in processed food, but for raw ingredients I think the nutritional value would be zero, since it technically is artificial." Momo answered. She had never actually tried to eat anything she created, but maybe she should look into it. If she succeded, it would become an incredibly useful skill in the future. The challenge excited her and she immediately started jotting down ideas for things to create.

"Oh, I see." Ochaco left Momo alone, a little disappointed. Now she would have to find another way to obtain an endless supply of snacks.

* * *

 **Can you image the arguments that would ensue during game nights? How did you like the bonus? It was something I myself had wondered about. I love writing this. Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

He was at a loss for words. In front of him was Uraraka with a cake and a present for him. Never in a million years would Izuku have seen that coming. He had no idea how to react so he was left gaping at her like a fish. That was pretty much how he felt at that moment, like a green-haired fish out of water. Izuku tried to say something, say _anything_ , but he barely managed to make a sound. Tears had gathered in the corner of his eyes and Uraraka was waiting for his response, head tilted slightly.

"I'm-I'm..." _Come on! Say something! She brought you a freaking cake, at least thank her!_ Izuku's mind was going into overdrive, but he just couldn't get any words to pass his lips. He tried to calm down and speak properly, but his hands were shaking and the tears were blurring his vision.

"Are you okay?" Uraraka asked him. She had expected him to be surprised, but she wasn't prepared for the tears that were starting to fall from Midoriya's eyes. Had she upset him by suddenly declaring that they would celebrate his birthday? No, that couldn't be the case. Midoriya wouldn't get upset over someone else doing something nice for him. Unless... He wasn't upset, but touched by her gesture. That would make sense. From what she had gathered the past few months, Midoriya hadn't had many friends before high school and she wondered if anyone aside from his mom had celebrated with him before.

"I just... It's the first time someone has wanted to celebrate me. I'm so happy...You didn't have to..." Izuku finally managed to choke out. He couldn't believe that Uraraka had done something so nice for him. She was looking puzzled at first, but then a small smile formed on her face and her eyes softened.

"Happy belated birthday, Deku-kun!" She passed him the small package and encouraged him to open it right away. She wanted to see his reaction when he saw what she had picked out for him. The choice had been easy. What better to get a hardcore hero fanboy than some good, sturdy notebooks for his hobby?

The sound that left Izuku could be described as a cross between a gasp and a yell. His fingers had carefully opened the package in front of him and had revealed a set of two thick notebooks and a pack of pens. Izuku picked one of the notebooks up in disbelief. The one in his hand was plain black with a soft leather cover and the second one on his bed was grey with a woven fabric cover and a black elastic band that held it closed. Both felt amazing to the touch. The pack of pens consisted of four different colors of erasable ballpoints.

"What do you think?" Ochaco asked excitedly. She had seen the way his eyes lit up and he had immediately run his fingers along the spine and across the covers. His gaze met hers and she was taken aback from the intensity of his eyes.

"It's amazing...But you didn't have to get me something so expensive, Uraraka-san. You even brought a cake to boot." Izuku was aware of her financial situation and felt bad that she had spent so much money on a gift for him. Ever since starting at UA, Izuku had gone through his notebooks like it was nobody's business and he barely had any pages left in his current one.

"Don't worry, I got it as a bundle so it was cheaper and the salesman gave me an additional discount for students!" The brunette proudly told him. Ochaco's coupon game was incredible and she always found the best deals. She had also made the cake from scratch so she was excited for Midoriya to try it.

"Thank you so much!" Izuku flipped open the black notebook and noticed that one side was plain paper and the opposite side was ruled. That way he could draw on one side and write his notes in an orderly fashion next to it. Izuku smiled so brightly that he would have given All Might a run for his money. Ochaco sighed in relief as her best friend happily started rambling about how he was going to put her gift to use.

"Did you make the cake yourself?" Izuku had thought ahead when he moved in and had bought disposable tableware and paper cups in case he didn't want to eat in the common room. His decision now came in handy and he got up to grab two paper plates and cups as well as a knife and two forks.

"Yup! I hope it tastes good." Uraraka was scrutinizing her work and accepted the plate and drink Izuku handed her. She took a sip of the fizzy drink he had gotten out from his fridge.

"I'm sure it does." Izuku carefully sliced the cake and placed one piece on Uraraka's plate and the second on his own. It had a layer of jam under a layer of cream and the buttercream frosting spread all over the top and sides. The birthday boy dug his fork into the cake and tried a bite. It was delicious, he told her.

"I'm glad you like it!" Ochaco's smile made butterflies flutter in Izuku's stomach. This was how she was supposed to be. Always cheerful, undeniably kind and able to make Izuku sweat. He went for a second bite of cake and started asking questions about how she had baked it and if she could show him sometime.

They stayed like that for over an hour, eating cake and talking. Izuku wasn't sure if she had eaten dinner yet, so he offered her some of the food his mom had made him bring back. She politely declined stating that she had eaten enough cake batter to keep her going for days. It was Sunday evening and Uraraka left saying she had to look over her homework for classes tomorrow. Izuku thanked her countless times during the evening and again when she left his room. She gave him a little wave as the elevator arrived and just when Izuku was about to close his door, he looked to the side and noticed Mineta poking his head out of his room, giving Izuku a thumbs up. Izuku closed the door behind him and looked at the remaining cake on his coffee table. The butterflies returned.

* * *

Monday morning came fast and everyone groggily started another week of classes and hero training. Izuku was scheduled to be at Nighteye's office both Tuesday and Wednesday and had already notified the teachers as well as completed his school work beforehand. The internship was taken more out of him that he had expected, but not once did he complain. To Izuku, being taking in by Nighteye was a dream true. There was something ecstatic about being acknowledged by someone who used to be the only sidekick of his mentor. This, of course, also meant that he had to prove his worth, but Izuku was already used to putting in all his effort in anything he did. Plus Ultra, right?

The first class passed in a blur, so did second and third period and eventually it became lunchtime. Izuku headed to the cafeteria with the rest of his class and bought his lunch. Iida had been telling him about the meal plan that he had thought up with Yaoyorozu and asked for Izuku's input.

"It looks pretty well-balanced. How are we going to come up with the teams? Are they going to be permanent or should they be shuffled around every few weeks?" The green-haired boy asked deep in thought. He was actually looking forward to trying the team-cooking exercise out.

"We should draw lots and switch the teams out every three weeks. We already decided on the first rotation." The class president informed him, pulling forth a sheet of paper with their names on. Izuku noticed that each team had at least one girl in it. He was paired up with Asui, Kirishima and Todoroki. Izuku knew that Asui was used to cooking for others, but he didn't know about the two others. He just hoped that they wouldn't set the whole kitchen on fire. Izuku looked up from the paper and let his eyes look over his classmates.

The girls were all busy discussing something related to a girls' night the coming weekend, and Izuku accidentally overheard parts of it and wondered if girl really had those stereotypical slumber parties as shown on TV. He would have to ask Uraraka for confirmation on that. She seemed so engrossed in their conversation that he didn't have the heart to interrupt. His eyes lingered on her for a few more seconds before moving on to the rest. Everyone was behaving normally, but Izuku was starting to feel something close to unrest. It felt like he was being watched.

Shaking off the feeling, Izuku returned to his meal and started another conversation with Iida and Todoroki who were seated in front of him. Among the boys, Izuku felt that he was closest to those two and then Kacchan and Kirishima. Maybe it would be okay to tell them about his and Uraraka's nightmares, but he still hadn't spoken to her about it. Although Izuku was planning on approaching her later, the matter would have to wait a while longer. He still didn't know the extent of Uraraka's nightmares, so he would have to get her to open up to him first. That also meant he had to be honest with her regarding his own problems. Sighing, Izuku tried to put the thoughts away.

The rest of the day passed quickly and Izuku later met with All Might in the gym to show his progress. He and All Might had been working on his fine control as well as instant activation of his quirk. He was improving, but at a slow rate – at least according to himself. Izuku knew that he was extremely hard on himself, but he would not allow himself to be powerless ever again. All Might seemed to have sensed some of his turmoil from the way he was staring intently at him.

"Are you pulling all-nighters again, young Midoriya?" The former hero asked with his eyes somewhat squinted. He could see the dark circles underneath Izuku's eyes and was worried he was overworking himself yet again. Results weren't achieved overnight, but with consistency and repetition – it wouldn't do if the boy rushed ahead and got himself hurt.

"N-no, I just have a little trouble sleeping. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, but I go back to sleep and it's usually fine." Izuku quickly explained, afraid that All Might was seeing through his half-truth. He hated not being honest with All Might of all people, but he simply couldn't admit how affected he was by the recent events. He knew that it would put a stop to his training, and he couldn't afford lagging behind.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should get a health checkup to see if there are any lingering side effects or trauma. I'm sure Recovery Girl won't mind." The elderly nurse would more likely be delighted that he came to see her on his own, and honestly speaking, All Might was starting to get a little worried that Midoriya had taken on some sort of oath to become stronger and defend every living person on Earth. Still, he didn't want to pressure the boy into telling him everything on his mind. He was certain that Midoriya would come see him when he was ready.

"I'm fine, really! But I'll definitely think about it." Izuku promised solemnly. Sighing, All Might stopped his probing and continued the training session.

Izuku spent a good hour under All Might's tutelage and returned to the dorm with new exercises to try out, like puncturing an orange interchangeably with his fingers. The rest of the evening passed without anything interesting happening. Izuku finished off whatever cake he had left and got to work on his assignments for the following week, before heading to bed.

* * *

The next two days were spent with Nighteye and his sidekicks and were over in a flash. Izuku had been terribly busy and barely had time to see his friends. Between his daily training and the internship as well as keeping up with his studies, having much of a social life was hard. He had briefly spoken to Kirishima earlier that morning when they were both headed to the train station and his red-haired classmate had looked as exhausted as Izuku felt.

"Keeping up with school and everything else is hard!" He had complained as he tried to walk and work out the kinks in his neck at the same time. He had looked over at Midoriya who was walking sluggishly beside him. The guy seemed almost dazed while he walked. If he continued like that, he'd probably walk into a lamppost.

"I know. I've been finishing homework ahead of time, but it still feels like I need to study harder." Izuku had replied and suppressed a yawn. He had dreamed about All Might being drained of blood so the villains could get their hands on his power, and the dream had left him shaking in its wake. He tried his best to hide the remnants of panic in his voice and body language, but wasn't successful.

"Midoriya… You all right, man?" Kirishima, bless his heart, asked with obvious worry in his voice. Izuku smiled a little at that. Leave it to Kirishima to be so concerned about others' wellbeing when he was in just as bad shape. His eyes bore into Izuku's and the green-haired boy felt compelled to answer, so he nodded. The other boy frowned in response.

"Yeah, just not sleeping well." Izuku sent him a tired smile and slowed down when he reached the intersection they were supposed to part at. He felt relieved when Kirishima's frown disappeared and was replaced with his usual cheerful look.

"Listen. If you need my help, don't hesitate. You can count on me." He pointed a thumb against his chest and sent Izuku a bright smile, which he returned with one of his own.

"I know I can." Izuku waved when Kirishima took off in the opposite direction, but a nagging feeling slowly built up in his chest. He had said something along the same lines to Uraraka, so why hadn't he heard anything from her in two days?

* * *

 **A/N: You guys have been amazing with your feedback and follows. Thank you so much! Izuku's birthday was on the 15th of July so I wanted to see what people would get him as a present. Until next time (=w=)/**


	4. Chapter 4

Izuku had been standing in front of the door to Uraraka's room for the past 5 minutes, hand still raised to knock. He had tried both calling and texting her, but she hadn't replied even once. Asking Iida and their other classmates led to him finding out that she had been absent that day due to being at her internship. Izuku faintly recalled her telling him she was going to Ryukyu's office the last time they had spoken.

He didn't know what had happened during her day, but he hoped she was alright. Izuku had been worried that her sleep deprived state would hinder her usual performance and lead to mistakes, but Uraraka was careful with herself. She wouldn't let her fatigue get in the way of her duties.

Still, it was unlike the brunette to not answer his texts when she was free. She could, of course, be asleep. Izuku had considered that possibility as well, and if that was the case he would feel horrible for waking her up when she was finally able to rest. For these reasons, the aspiring hero was still standing outside, trying to decide whether or not to knock on the door.

In the end Izuku decided to leave her alone. She might have needed some time for herself since she was keeping her distance or she was taking a nap. With that in mind Izuku returned to the 1st floor where he was supposed to meet his group for their first time cooking together. He had been a little nervous at the prospect, but a part of him was also somewhat excited. He generally liked cooking, but he hadn't cooked with anyone other than his mom before.

Thinking about his mom brought a smile to Izuku's face. She had been so excited when she heard about class A's students cooking for each other and she had greatly encouraged it. She had even offered her assistance if need be. The thought of Inko teaching his classmates the proper way to cut vegetables made him chuckle.

"Ah, there he is! Midoriya, hurry!" Kirishima's voice cut through to him and Izuku looked over to see his hot-blooded friend wearing an apron and waving at him from the kitchen area.

Behind Kirishima were Asui and Todoroki, both wearing identical aprons to the one on the redhead. The hybrid quirk user was pulling uncomfortably at the fabric, examining it. Asui on the other hand looked like it was the most natural thing in the world to be wearing. Izuku could see the fourth apron, which was obviously meant for him, lying on top of the counter and he walked over and started putting it on.

"I'm here. What are we making?" The freckled boy took his place beside Todoroki and looked at the menu. It included rice, fish, steamed vegetables and egg rolls among others. Izuku knew how to cook rice and steam vegetables, but didn't have much experience with seafood.

"I only know how to make rice." Todoroki spoke up beside him, picking up a large knife and testing his grip. Izuku gently took away the knife, not trusting him to wield anything that sharp.

"You don't need a knife to make rice, Todoroki-kun." He sweat-dropped. What kind of rice had he been making before? Suddenly, Izuku feared for everyone's safety.

* * *

"Midoriya-chan." Asui had been quiet for a few minutes while working on the soup. Izuku, whose concentration had been solely on chopping vegetable, looked up.

"Yes? Am I cutting the pieces too large?" Izuku remembered his mother saying something about always cutting food into smaller pieces, so maybe his knife wielding skills needed work.

"No, they're fine. It's about Ochaco-chan." The frog-girl glanced at him and returned her attention to stirring the pot with broth.

She motioned for Izuku to add the vegetables, which he did while he waited for her to elaborate. Behind them Kirishima and Todoroki were busy handling the rice and other side dishes, so they weren't paying attention to the conversation between Asui and Izuku.

"Is she okay? She hasn't been answering my texts." He finally asked. His mind had wandered back to Uraraka a few more times while he had been with the others and Izuku hoped she was coming down to eat dinner with everyone else.

"Something happened today while we were on patrol. We got split up and Ochaco-chan was ambushed by a villain with a venom quirk. She subdued him, but he managed to poison her. The venom did something to her. She hasn't been herself for the past few days, but after the attack, she completely shut down. They extracted most of the venom and told her to rest for a few days." Asui had lowered her voice so only Izuku could hear her and she was still looking down into the pot of soup.

"Ochaco-chan puts on a brave face all the time and doesn't burden others with her feelings, but for a few days I can tell she's had lots on her mind. I think she is suffering right now." When she met Izuku's eyes, he could see concern for Uraraka as well as an unspoken plea for help.

"I know." Izuku steeled himself and made a decision. Asui couldn't help Uraraka by herself, so she was asking him for help, but did she know about the brunette's mental health beforehand? Even if she did they needed Uraraka to open up and rely on them, otherwise her guilt and anguish would eat her alive.

* * *

Izuku found himself standing in front of Uraraka's door for the second time that evening. This time, however, he was carrying a tray with several covered dishes and some fruits. He had texted the brunette earlier that he was bringing her dinner, and although she hadn't replied to him, Izuku was certain she had seen his message.

"Uraraka-san, I brought you dinner." He called out to her. He didn't expect her to get the door, so he waited for a few moments before announcing he was coming in. It was unlocked.

"Uraraka-san? Are you awake?" Izuku asked, slowly stepping into her room. It felt different from the last time he had been there. The air was thick inside and the curtains were drawn so no sunlight – however little was left outside – was making its way in. None of the lamps were on, so Izuku's eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dimness.

He carefully stepped forward and placed the tray on top of her table and moved further in until he was standing next to her bed. Uraraka was currently a lump hidden under her blankets. Izuku could tell she was facing the wall from the way her body was curled up. Her breathing was normal, so she probably wasn't asleep.

"I'm not hungry…" Her voice had been so low that Izuku almost missed it. Luckily, he was standing close enough to her that he heard her speak.

"You need to eat something." Izuku insisted. When she stopped replying, he turned around and sat down on the floor in front of the bed, leaning his back against its frame. He wasn't sure when she had last eaten and he wasn't leaving until she had emptied the tray.

"Asui-san told me what happened. She's very worried about you. So are the others." Izuku's eyes roamed over the few picture frames she had placed on top of her dresser. She also had some succulents next to the frames and he had to wonder if they were real or not.

"Uraraka-san, we are your friends. You are supposed to tell us when you are bothered by something and it is our job to help you." Izuku leaned his head back a little and looked up at the ceiling. It was hard to have a conversation when he was the only one participating in it.

"…I don't want to bother anyone." Her reply was muffled by her blanket, but it reached him nonetheless.

"You are too hard on yourself. No one is bothered by you." Izuku chuckled. He came prepared to fight her stubbornness, but he couldn't help but smile at how predictable the situation was. Asui had already warned him that the brunette would insist she was fine, but the frog-girl didn't know of Uraraka's promise to him about asking for help. It sounded like Uraraka herself also had forgotten it.

"If you don't want to talk about it, will you at least eat something? Please?" He turned his head slightly and waited for her to move or say something. Maybe he would have to force-feed her? But it would become an extraordinary challenge if she made him or the food float. Izuku opted for her to feed herself.

The sound of shuffling from behind him told him that she was about to get up. The green-haired teen leaned over and pulled the small table closer so she would have an easier time reaching the food. Uraraka slowly sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Did you make this?" Her voice was a little raspy and she seemed a little shaky in her movements. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself before reaching over.

"Yes, together with Asui-san, Kirishima-kun and Todoroki-kun." He smiled a little. Uraraka still hadn't looked directly at him. Her hands shook a little and her breathing sounded a little off.

"Can you help me down on the floor?" She asked after a moment of silence. Izuku could see how it would be easier to eat when she was sitting down and he quickly agreed. Grabbing a cushion, he placed it right in front of her and got up to help her. He placed one arm behind her back and the other took her hands as he eased her off the bed and onto the floor. Uraraka's legs wobbled as she tried sitting down and she gripped onto Izuku for dear life.

When she finally met his eyes, Izuku felt like punching something at 100%. More specifically, he felt like punching the villain that ambushed her and anyone else that caused her trauma. Her face was as white as a sheet and her eyes looked hollow. He noticed the tiny cuts and bruises that were scattered across her skin, how chapped her lips were and how she kept closing her eyes in concentration when she moved too much. Maybe she had overused her quirk and was feeling nauseous on top of everything, but he didn't ask.

' _Well, she did get poisoned. Maybe that's causing her nausea.'_ Izuku thought dryly. She was probably drained for energy and for a moment he considered offering to hold the bowl for her, but when she finally settled down and picked up the soup bowl without spilling any, he changed his mind.

Izuku knew how much Uraraka hated feeling weak and wanting to everything by herself, so he didn't want her to think he was taking pity on her. If she asked for his help, he would gladly help her – heck, he would even feed her – but she seemed to be doing fine so far.

Ochaco took a few spoonfuls and sighed in content, the soup was warming her up. The feeling of warmth in her body made her realize just how hungry she was! That and also the growl from her stomach that followed the soup. The brunette tentatively bit into the chopped up vegetable and chewed slowly.

"It's good." She told him over another spoonful. She finally ventured out into more solid food and took a bite of the egg rolls Kirishima had cooked. They had finely chopped onions, carrots and spring onions in them, so they were fairly standard, but they were still delicious.

"Kirishima-kun is actually very skilled in the kitchen. He's very creative and also good at preparing ingredients beforehand." Midoriya told her. For some reason, Ochaco believed it. She could just imagine Kirishima being bored and testing out recipes for fun.

"What did you make?" She asked as she took a sip of water to wash down the eggs.

"Soup with Asui-san. It was actually her that did most of the cooking, the guys just assisted her. Oh, and Kirishima-kun and I tried to keep Todoroki-kun out of trouble." The freckled boy laughed. Ochaco wondered what had happened since the best student in their class needed to be kept in check.

"Tsuyu-chan is used to cooking for her siblings, so it was probably just routine for her." Ochaco had started on the fish and was feeling a little better. She didn't miss the worried glances Midoriya sent her when she struggled with swallowing right away or when she had to breathe deeply before continuing.

She was still taking it slow and chewing for longer than was probably necessary, but she didn't want Deku to leave just yet. Not that she thought he would actually leave as soon as she finished eating; no he was too much of a sweetheart to do that. He would likely stay until she asked him to leave. That was just the type of person he was. Ochaco still felt bad about not answering his text messages.

"I'm sorry for not replying earlier." She glanced at him before finishing off the rice, which had an unusual texture to it. It wasn't bad, but it felt a little too stiff and sticky. Done with her meal, Ochaco thanked him for the food and pushed back the tray.

"It's okay. I figured you were probably sleeping." He replied gently and smiled a little. His eyes were still filled with worry, but his shoulders weren't as tense as they had been minutes ago.

"I tried to… but I kept waking up every few minutes." Ochaco didn't want to admit it, but she had been afraid to fall asleep. The venom hadn't just affected her body, it had done something to her brain too. At least, it felt like it.

"Nightmare?" He lowered his voice even though they were alone. The brunette was surprised at the hesitation she felt from him before he asked. He was always being so considerate of her and constantly worrying about her, Ochaco felt like she had to be honest with him.

"Did Tsuyu-chan tell you about the patrol?" She asked slowly and when he nodded, she swallowed thickly before continuing. She wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell him, but she couldn't just keep everything to herself. Not when she had promised him to rely on him.

"After we got split up, I tracked one of the villains. He shot out poison like Mina does acid. Anyway, I managed to isolate him on a smaller street and I used the moves Gunhead taught me, but he… He was smart. He managed to graze me with his poison, while I used whatever objects and trash was lying on the street to knock him out." Ochaco shuddered and her hand went up to her upper arm where she had been grazed. The bandage covered her corroded skin and it was hidden under her shirt.

"The poison had a few seconds delay before the effect kicked in, but it made my knees buckle. I vomited and broke into cold sweat, I think. It just became hazy. I remember thinking I had to bind him while he was down, but I couldn't move. And then I started hallucinating. It was horrible. I would see blood flooding into the streets… then you guys would emerge from the blood… and… you were all trying to k-kill me. When the others found me, they told me quirk had gone into overdrive and I made so many objects float that I passed out." Talking so much made Ochaco feel out of breath. She looked at Midoriya and he looked like his jaw was set in stone. His knuckles had turned white from clenching his hands so tightly, and she was worried he would draw blood.

"What happened then?" He gritted out through clenched teeth. Ochaco didn't dare lie, but now came the hardest part. She had to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat before she could continue.

"They… captured him and then they saw my arm. The paramedics that had been called started extracting the poison, but it looked like it had… disappeared? They could only find traces of it in my body. The hallucinations hadn't stopped at that point, so I… attacked them. Luckily, I didn't hurt anyone, but they had to knock me out with sedatives." Tears had formed in the corners of her eyes as she continued.

"I woke up in the hospital with Ryukyu and some doctors next to me. They'd been doing some tests… The poison had more of a drug-like effect and it made me completely delusional for a while. When I came to, they made me so some physical tests to check… for damage… and I still can't use my quirk…" She hiccupped and the tears started streaming down her face.

"You can't… use your quirk?" Midoriya breathed in disbelief. Ochaco threw herself at him, sobbing.

* * *

 **A/N: The fic is set some time before the whole Eri thing. Again, thank you so much for your support! You reviews make me so so happy!**


	5. Chapter 5

It took Izuku three seconds to react. One second to realize what Uraraka had just told him, another to notice her sobbing hysterically and a third to figure out that he was supposed to console her when she was crying on his shoulder. Slowly, his brain started functioning again and he tentatively put his arms around her and pulled her closer so she wasn't hanging on him. Given their position, she was halfway sitting on his lap with her head buried in his chest as sobs wracked through her body.

Other than his mom, Izuku had never comforted another crying person before. In the Midoriya household, crying was used to express feelings both good and bad, and he and his mother often cried together. This situation was so different from anything he had experienced before, so the poor boy was at a loss for what he could do to comfort Uraraka. For now, he could only hold her as she cried. Hesitating slightly, Izuku gently rubbed circles on her back to soothe her. He remembered his mother doing the same for him when he was a child, and she would even speak words of comfort in a soothing voice, so naturally, he tried to do the same thing.

Ochaco had lost all control of herself and she had to let out all her pent out frustrations. She felt powerless. She had been robbed of her quirk and she had never felt so vulnerable before. Recalling the events from earlier that day did nothing to calm her down, it just made her cry harder onto Deku's chest. She faintly registered that she was getting tears and snot all over his shirt, but she didn't care about that right now. She wanted to scream until her lungs burst and she wanted to be stronger and not feel so goddamn miserable. She wanted to be able to stand proud and show everyone that she was strong and capable, but it was impossible when she was _so_ _weak_.

How could she become a hero and help others when she couldn't help herself? Her quirk had been taken away from her and she could do nothing. A part of her was missing and she could only cry. She felt so empty, like a shell of herself. So she cried. She cried and cried until there were no more tears left in her. Ochaco didn't know how long she spent crying, she only knew that Deku stayed with her through it all. It could have been an hour or it could have been ten minutes, she just knew he was there, holding her close and not letting go. Not once did he stop rubbing her back and he didn't stop muttering comforting words either, unless she spoke.

All of the horrible thoughts and feelings she had been suppressing came rushing out of her and she poured her heart out to him, telling him about her doubts and fears. She admitted feeling lost and not knowing if she was strong enough to continue. Her heart ached so much from all her negative feelings, but she was finally letting them all out and Midoriya just sat there and listened, his hold on her tightening once in a while.

"I'm s-sorry! I'm sorry!" She hiccupped against his soaked chest. She felt horrible for ruining his shirt, but crying had released so much of her tension and she was finally able to breathe again. Her eyes burned and her face felt wet.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault." She didn't know if he meant soaking his shirt in her bodily fluids or the whole mess they were in. It didn't matter anyway, Ochaco just wanted to hear those words. That it wasn't her fault and that it was okay to be afraid.

"I was so scared." She whispered hoarsely. Fear had been one of the feelings she had been overwhelmed by ever since waking up at the hospital. When she woke up among the beeping machines and nurses bustling around her, a terrible fear gripped at her heart and she instantly knew that something was wrong.

"Yeah." Midoriya breathed next to her ear and made her lift her head. She looked up at him somewhat fearfully. His hand came to a rest on her back, but his eyes were alert.

"Deku-kun, what if I've l-lost my quirk?" Ochaco stammered, letting fear engulf her once more. The question had burned in the back of her mind for hours, but she had refused to acknowledge it. Now, she couldn't stop herself.

"I'm sure it will return eventually, Uraraka-san. You'll just have to believe in your own power." Izuku reasoned and brought a hand up to wipe away some stray tears. She whimpered a little and hid her face in his chest once more, which left Izuku to stroke the top of her head. They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Ochaco finally calmed down. She decided that she would let herself indulge in this moment of selfishness, before picking herself back up. After all, she couldn't do it by herself.

"They told me to report to Ryukyu and the doctors tomorrow morning." She finally pulled back and looked up at him. She was sure her face was messed up, but she also knew it didn't matter to Izuku. He still kept one of his arms loosely around her, now that she was sitting next to him.

"I'll go with you if you want." The freckled boy offered. He felt her take some deep breaths and nod once. Ochaco swiped at her eyes with her sleeve and sighed loudly.

"Man, I feel so much better after getting all that out!" She claimed and leaned her head on Izuku's shoulder. They boy seemed lost in thought for a moment, but then leaned his head ever so lightly down, so their heads were touching. Ochaco was still feeling woozy, so she closed her eyes to stop her head from spinning. She inhaled deeply and let it all out again a couple of times, before addressing him again.

"Thank you for listening." She whispered and nudged him lightly with her shoulder, which caused their heads to knock together slightly. Izuku just smiled at the gesture of affection.

"Thank you for telling me." He replied softly and nuzzled her head with his own. He was happy he had helped her let out her feelings and that she had leaned on him as support. Wait, leaned on him. It was only then he realized how close they were sitting and how much of their bodies were touching each other and he stopped breathing. Uraraka was pressed flush against his side. Her leg was aligned with his, their arms were pressed together and her head was resting on his shoulder.

"I'll also have to tell Tsuyu-chan that I'm fine." Ochaco suppressed a yawn and lifted her head from his shoulder to look for her cell phone. She got up from the floor, still a little shaky and grabbed the phone, quickly texting her friend. She didn't notice her friend had frozen beside her.

Izuku was finally able to breathe again and frantically tried to calm himself and stop his face from turning red. It was a lost cause and he knew it. Uraraka had sat back down on her bed and this time a yawn escaped her.

"Who knew crying could be so tiring?" She asked sheepishly, but it gave Izuku the perfect opportunity to make his escape. He quickly got up from the floor and started putting the now empty bowls back onto the tray. Uraraka looked at him with curiosity as he retreated back towards the door.

"R-right, you m-m-must be tired after the day you've had, I'll be going now! G-goodnight!" He fumbled with the doorknob but was eventually able to open the door, his face burning up.

"Goodnight?" He faintly heard Uraraka call after him as he slammed the door shut and made a beeline for the elevator. Once inside, Izuku spent a good five minutes just breathing and getting his heart rate down, before he pressed the button for the first floor. He had hugged a girl! And she had cried on his shoulder… That was normal right? For friends to comfort each other? It wasn't like they had done anything wrong, so why was his heart beating so fast? Wait… was he even a virgin anymore?!

"Midoriya!" Kirishima startled him out of his thoughts and Izuku nearly dropped the tray in his hands.

"Wah! We didn't do anything! We're just friends I swear!" Izuku panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. He hadn't even noticed when he had reached the kitchen, having been on autopilot the entire way down. Kirishima just looked at him, puzzled.

"Right. How is Uraraka? Did she eat?" The redhead asked and helped Izuku load the dirty dished into the dishwasher. Living in a dorm full of teenagers had made Izuku appreciate the technological wonder and he had found himself respecting his mother even more for always handling chores by herself.

"Yeah. She really liked it and said thank you. She's resting now." Izuku explained as they cleared out from the kitchen. Kirishima had been the only one in the kitchen but a few of the others were still hanging around the lounge area. They had stopped walking halfway to the sofas, where the rest were hanging out.

"That's good. After you left, Tsuyu-chan told us that she had been injured earlier. She looked really worried." Kirishima told him. He rarely saw the frog-like girl display so many emotions. She was usually so calm and collected – especially in moments of crisis.

"She'll be fine." Izuku tried to convince him. He was pretty sure Asui hadn't told him the extent of the injuries, but he was glad to see that Kirishima still cared.

"I hope she gets better soon. Otherwise she might end up having to take supplementary lessons with the rest of us." Izuku knew Kirishima said it out of concern for her, but it still shocked him that he was so blunt. Had Uraraka's grades been slipping these past couple of weeks? She hadn't mentioned anything, but maybe she had forgotten or was just embarrassed. Or maybe she had too much on her plate to concentrate on her grades.

"I saw the results on her quiz by accident and it was a lot lower than normal." The redhead elaborated. He must have seen the confused look on Izuku's face. He crossed his arms behind his head and sighed.

"I see. I think she'll manage somehow." Izuku put a hand to his chin as he thought it over. He had noticed that Uraraka had seemed unfocused in class, but he didn't know that her grades had suffered from it. He'd ask tomorrow when they went to her checkup.

"Outta the way, Deku." Kacchan's gruff voice sounded behind him and Izuku moved out of habit. He hadn't noticed the blonde approaching, but he was too busy thinking about Uraraka's situation to give it more thought. He didn't even notice the odd look he received from Kacchan as he passed him.

Kirishima raised an eyebrow as Midoriya wordlessly moved away from Bakugo. Usually he would at least try to interact with the angry teenager, but lately it had seemed like the freckled teen had a lot on his mind. Eijiro wasn't much for prying, but sometimes this hopeless looked came over Midoriya like he was desperately trying to forget something that still haunted him. The redhead had tried to reach out to him before, but since Midoriya hadn't asked for his help, he guessed that the other boy was holding up fine.

Eijiro might have been slow on the uptake, but he was by no means stupid. He knew that Midoriya and Uraraka were displaying signs of, well not necessarily PTSD, but something along those lines. No one had opened up and talked about it, but he could see the cracks in the masks his classmates wore. What he didn't understand was why no one wanted to talk about it or get help. They had been through hell. They didn't have their childish innocence any longer; they couldn't pretend that everything was fine. Maybe they should inform Aizawa-sensei? He didn't get to discuss it with Midoriya, since the green-haired teen muttered something about studying and going to bed soon.

Kirishima stared after him long after he disappeared. Midoriya was probably the best candidate to help everyone else in their class. The boy possessed a certain conviction and he had easily earned everyone's trust during these past few months. All in all, he was pretty reliable and his observational skills were extraordinary, so there was no way he hadn't noticed the signs of stress and wasn't thinking up some sort of solution. The redhead decided to give it a few more days. He wouldn't get anything out of rushing him. He just hoped it was the right thing to do.

* * *

The next morning Izuku had woken up when he received a text from Uraraka saying her quirk had returned. She had been ecstatic and so relieved when they met in front of the dorm. Her eyes had still been puffy and she had once again apologized for ruining his shirt.

"Did you sleep alright?" Izuku had asked her after they had walked for a while. She had nodded and told him that she only woke up once that night.

"And I drank lots of water so I didn't get dehydrated!" She told him as cheerfully as she could. He would have believed that she was back to her usual self had it not been for the dark circles under her eyes as well as all the cuts and bruises. She also couldn't walk at her usual fast pace, which was another thing to consider. Her health had improved by a bit and she had eaten breakfast and wasn't nauseous any longer.

They took the train to the station nearest the hospital where Uraraka had been sent the previous say. Once they were inside, Uraraka was ushered away by the nurses and Izuku shown to the waiting area where he sat down in the most comfortable chair he could spot. The spot he chose was pretty much empty, so Izuku could think without disturbing others.

He had spent a good part of the night tossing and turning while replaying his conversation with Uraraka. After coming to terms with the fact that he had instinctively hugged her when she needed comfort, he had thought about all the things she had told him. She had been suffering quietly for so long, and he was just happy she had opened up about her feelings. Still, it had been so hard to listen to her desperate cries when she thought her quirk was lost for good. He had so badly wanted to tell her that he knew how it felt and tell her about his past, but he had to grit his teeth and focus on the girl in his arms.

What she had needed was reassurance that she was going to be okay, she didn't need to make her feel worse by telling about his own misery. He would, eventually tell her more about his childhood, but for now, he stuck with the same explanation everyone else had gotten. That his quirk manifested extremely late and therefore was hard to control for him. Izuku longed for the day he could be honest about everything, but he also knew it would jeopardize every relationship he had, and he would never allow that.

Izuku had been sitting for close to an hour when Uraraka returned followed by a nurse and Ryukyu. She bid them farewell before walking over to where he was sitting. She looked a little better than when they had arrived. Some of the color had returned to her cheeks and she was walking more steadily. Izuku figured one of the nurses had a quirk similar to Recovery Girl and had used it on her.

"Are you ready to go back?" He asked as they gathered their belongings and got ready to head out. Uraraka nodded and hoisted her bag up on her shoulder. They had notified their teachers about the checkup and had gotten the morning periods off. They still needed to make it back for afternoon classes. On the way back to the school, she filled him in on what he could. Since Ryukyu had been present, Izuku expected it to be something related to her work.

"All traces of the poison are gone and they were happy my quirk was back to normal." The brunette started off, trying to recall everything she had been told the past hour. Some of the information was classified and she had to take a moment to sort through what she could tell Deku and what she couldn't.

"Did they figure out what the poison was? Since it blocked or erased your quirk?" Izuku asked already thinking of hundred possibilities on his own.

"It worked like a drug and blocked some receptors in the brain, so I couldn't activate my quirk. It was a lot like a drug they are dealing with in the city." She repeated what she had been told earlier, although it didn't make that much sense to her.

"Oh okay, so it could be a quirk that worked like a repressor in the body, but that would mean it was very specific in its targeting. What if it affected other parts of the body that hadn't been checked? Could this quirk have been used to manufacture such drugs? Could an antidote be formulated if the poison's every property was known? Maybe Yaoyorozu-san would be able to create an antidote if she got a look at it." Izuku's mutter storms always amused Uraraka, but she also greatly admired the way he instantly started thinking of solutions.

"Maybe. They're looking into it and told me to alert them ASAP if I felt any discomfort." Ochaco felt like a heavy burden had been removed from her shoulders. She was happy there hadn't been any side effects so far, and she was grateful she hadn't gone alone.

"Thanks again for coming with me." She smiled and took his hand while she leaned a little into him. She felt him freeze when she squeezed his hand and it immediately started sweating. He was so cute to get flustered over small touches like this.

"Y-you're welcome." He stammered and looked away as his face flushed. Feeling like she had tortured him for long enough, Ochaco let go of his hand and continued walking. She had gotten an idea and she was going to have fun with this discovery.

* * *

 **Phew! I don't think I've ever been this good at uploading. Anywho, Trigger has been introduced (somewhat) and I figured I would write as the manga progressed and include the events from there and my thoughts on them. ALSO, I've been thinking of writing another fic as a companion piece to this where all my omake's can go, so a light fluffy piece won't interfere with angst etc. Would you rather I write them at the end of the chapters here or create a seperate fic? As always, thank you for reading and until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Updates will be slower from now on, since I just started my Master's degree today. I haven't had time to proofread yet, so please bear with me. Will try to get a new chapter up every week!**

 **WARNING! Graphic (dark ad gory-ish) content and a panic attack ahead.**

* * *

More often than not, Iida was used to being the voice of reason and he liked to approach any situation rationally. His deductions and theories were based on logic and he weighed pros and cons before making a decision. This was why he had proposed that Class 1A start small study groups to keep up with their grades and continuously challenge one another. Pros: the students in question could get tutoring suited to their level and improve their academic achievements, while the ones tutoring could shoulder the responsibility of teaching another person. The cons: it would take a lot of patience from both sides to successfully implement peer-based tutoring, but the class president was convinced it would work out in everyone's favor.

The idea had come to him following a conversation with Asui and Uraraka who had been discussing strategies on how to balance homework with internships and Iida had remembered that a handful of students had been letting their grades slip. The next time they had a class meeting, he had suggested the tutoring and with the support of the vice president along with Aizawa-sensei, Iida had set his plan into motion.

See, although Iida wanted to help his classmates perform better in school, he had noticed a few things over the past couple of weeks. What stood out the most to him was how many of the students looked sleep-deprived and withdrawn even. It was one of the reasons he suspected that grades were slipping, which could be blamed on lack of discipline or a good work ethic, but seeing as he also cared for his classmates and their well-being, he had come to conclude that they were affected by other things. So the tutoring proposition served another purpose, which was to bring the students closer and hopefully help each other to deal with their respective problems.

Iida might not be the most discreet person of the bunch, but he was acutely aware of how the villain attacks and Bakugo's kidnapping had affected the students in their class and was hoping that being forced together in smaller groups would help them ease their worries and unburden their hearts. True heroes always saved the heart of others. The class president was confident that it would somehow work out – he just had to believe in the qualities of his classmates and friends.

That being said, there was still something he had to find out about said friends.

"Midoriya!" He called out to his freckled friend when he noticed the smaller boy leaving the classroom. Their last class for the day had ended and the students were either headed back to the dorm or loitering around.

"Yes?" Izuku stopped mid-step and looked over his shoulder to see Iida hurrying after him and waited for the class president to catch up.

"Are you headed back? Let's go together." Iida suggested and started leading the way. The two of them had walked to the station together so many times when they lived at home and Tenya couldn't see why that should stop now when they were sharing living spaces.

"Sure." Izuku fell into step with the taller boy, matching his fast pace. There had been something different about Iida the whole day, but Izuku couldn't quite place his finger on what it was. Iida was always serious and could often get intense, but there was something different about his intensity today.

"Midoriya… You are always quick to notice things with your keen observational skills and analytical mind." Iida stated out of the blue causing Izuku to scrunch his brows together in confusion. The dark-haired boy looked at him sideways, gauging his reaction.

"Oh, I guess so?" It was true. Izuku had been an awkward boy and had always watched other people in any type of situation he could. It was like second nature to him now.

"I'm sure you've noticed that something seems amiss with a few of our classmates." He waited for Izuku to nod his confirmation, before continuing his verbal dissertation all the while keeping a steady pace. The freckled boy was starting to see where Iida was going with his observation, and he wasn't liking it.

"They seem less spirited and grades are slipping. From what I can tell, some of our classmates are behaving unusually and are showing signs of distress - particularly Uraraka and yourself." Iida looked pointedly at Izuku, shocking him a little. Had he really noticed?

"Me? But I am fine, really." Izuku was sure he hadn't let his façade slip for days on end, so how had Iida seen right through him? He could feel a bead of sweat roll down his temple and racked his brain for an explanation. Iida adjusted his glasses that had slipped down his nose and slowly came to a halt. There was no one else nearby, so he felt confident about confronting his friend here with no one to listen in on their conversation.

"Please don't lie to me, Midoriya. I know from the bags under your eyes that you aren't sleeping and you've been skipping meals again. Not many, but enough to tell me that you don't have much of an appetite." The bespectacled boy was staring intently at Izuku, almost making him squirm under his gaze.

"I…uh… well" Izuku sighed and finally nodded in defeat. There was no use lying to Iida and pretending he was fine, when he had already been found out. Better make it as painless as possible.

"You're right. I've been… I've been having nightmares almost every night since the training camp." Izuku slowly admitted. Iida's gaze softened and he waited patiently for Izuku to continue. Taking a deep breath, the green-haired teen decided to confide in his friend instead of carrying the burden by himself.

"About Bakugo's kidnapping or the attacks in general?" Iida asked and prompted Midoriya to continue. He could see his friend's struggle to continue their conversation from the way he bit down on his lip. It took a few seconds before Midoriya looked up at him again with determined eyes. Tenya felt relieved that he didn't have to force it out of him and steeled himself for what was to come.

"In my dreams, the people I care for are constantly being hurt. My mom, Uraraka and you, the rest of our class and even our teachers, you are all being hurt and I'm powerless. I can't help anyone! I'm always forced to watch while my friends get tortured, and I can't move, I can't breathe, I can't _think_ , I can only watch." Izuku could feel tears beginning to form at the corner of his eyes and slowly his vision became blurry. He faintly registered Iida putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't stop himself from continuing. All the horrible visions he had been keeping locked up inside him were spilling out and his heart felt like it was going to burst any second now.

"There's always so much blood and you are all screaming for help, screaming for the pain to stop and I-I just can't save anyone! And the villains- the villains just laugh and break bones like it's a sport! They cut open my mom and show me her heart beating slower and slower until they squash it like a fruit! And All M- and everyone else are being hurt just as badly! You're being drained for blood and they cut you open with knives and sharp instruments- and I am so _weak_!" He choked on the last word and noticed Iida frantically trying to say something, but he couldn't hear anything other than his heart pounding in his ears.

His knees felt weak and were threatening to buckle under him and he felt bile rise in his throat. He couldn't breathe and the tears were falling freely from his eyes, blinding him momentarily. As he spoke, he had felt his heartbeat increasing and he knew that he was talking a mile a minute and probably not making much sense, but that didn't matter to him. He had wanted to get everything off his chest and tell someone about his terrible dreams, and when he finally did, he was falling into pieces. Iida was saying something to him, but it sounded warped to his ears. Then another, much clearer voice sounded right next to him and Izuku focused on the extra hand on his back.

"Just breathe buddy, it'll be okay." Izuku recognized the voice and tried his best to get his breathing under control. Iida was holding onto him, making sure he stayed upright also speaking words of comfort, but the second voice was the one he focused on.

"You'll be fine Midoriya, just breathe. In and out. Slowly. It'll be over soon, just keep on breathing." The voice was low and soothing to Izuku so he did as he was asked and breathed. He finally got to the point where his legs weren't shaking anymore and he was able to stand without support from his taller friend. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Kirishima standing with a small smile and felt him rub his back again.

"Kiri-" Izuku wanted to thank him, but it came out as him wheezing instead.

"Just focus on breathing, Midoriya. You're almost there." Kirishima moved around Izuku and stood next to Iida, both boys still holding him up. The redhead exchanged glances with Iida and nodded his head when the class president made to release Midoriya. Kirishima wasted no time and put his arm around the distressed boy to better support him.

Iida was frowning in concern. He had no idea that talking about his nightmares would make Midoriya react so badly, and he immediately felt guilty for pushing the issue. He was extremely grateful that Kirishima had appeared and was taking charge of the situation. Frankly, he was a lot better at handling Midoriya in his panicked state than Tenya had been.

He watched as Midoriya slowly calmed down and began thanking Kirishima for the support. He looked a little better now. The pain that had crossed his expression was all but gone and Iida had to wonder how long Midoriya had been bottling all his feelings up. He was pretty sure he hadn't told his mother, but that would have to change.

"That looked an awful lot like a panic attack, Midoriya. You okay?" Kirishima asked and gave his friend a once over. He seemed fine, but Eijiro kept his arm around him just in case. He nodded weakly in return and tried to straighten up.

"Kirishima-kun, how did you know what to do?" Izuku had only had a panic attack once when he was still in middle school, but this had felt different so he hadn't recognized the symptoms. Now that he thought about it, he felt a little stupid for thinking it was normal to be feeling such a tremendous amount of fear.

"Takes one to know one, eh?" He smiled somewhat ruefully and didn't elaborate, so the other two let it go.

"I'm glad you showed up, Kirishima-kun! You handled the situation well!" Iida exclaimed, having regained his composure. He would have to talk to Midoriya later, but he was actually considering involving Kirishima. Maybe he could arrange for them to be in the same study group?

"Yeah, thank you." Midoriya smiled weakly at him. The haunted look he had been walking around with almost disappeared, but having been around the aspiring hero for so long made Eijiro able to see the traces of stress still on his face.

"No problem guys. Now, let's get you back to your room. You gotta be tired."

* * *

During supermove training the next day Izuku had noticed that his control over One for All had gotten slightly better after he had increased his weight training. Being physically stronger meant that he was better suited to wield the immense power in him, and while he worked on being able to control it with pinpoint precision, he was overjoyed that he could grasp the power a little better. All Might had also praised him for putting in the extra effort and polishing his skills.

Izuku had gotten to the point where he could maintain Full Cowl for 15 minutes straight. During training and sparring with his classmates, however, he had trouble focusing on distributing the power evenly. His bones weren't snapping any longer, but throwing an uncontrolled punch stung and his limbs ached for days. Izuku was currently lifting weights and trying his best not to puke from the heavy load. He had upped the weight load again, only by a kilo this time, but he was still breathing heavily after finishing his set.

"You are improving fast young Midoriya, but be careful not to rush. You will get there in time, I promise." All Might put a hand on his shoulder with the corner of his mouth quirked up. Even in his weaker form, it was easy to see the pride he felt when he looked at his successor.

"Thank you, All Might." Izuku wiped the sweat off his brow and stood up straight. He reached for his water bottle and noticed that Uraraka and Iida were throwing him worried glances every now and then. They were both working on their own moves, but he would periodically feel their eyes on them.

"Is something the matter?" All Might asked and craned his neck to see what had caught the young boy's attention.

"It's nothing!" Izuku hurriedly said. He had already worried his friends with his problems, he didn't need All Might to get involved as well. The former hero had enough on his plate as it was, Izuku didn't want to add to his worries.

"Your friends are worried about you." All Might observed, making Izuku freeze beside him. For a second, he feared that All Might already knew about his bad dreams, but he forced himself to relax his shoulders and get himself under control.

"Did you perhaps hurt yourself again? But you've been better at controlling your strength, so maybe there is something else? Did you fail a test? No matter, you should still go and reassure them that you are fine. Unless you aren't?" All Might's gaze rested on Izuku and he felt like a deer caught in headlights. He hated lying to All Might, but he was honestly feeling better than he had in days.

"N-no, everything is fine!" The teenager insisted waving his hands around frantically. All Might's eyes bore into his, and Izuku was just a second away from spilling the beans when Uraraka came to his rescue, breaking the spell All Might had cast over him.

"Are you done for the day, Deku-kun?" Her voice was soft, but there was a hopeful tone to her words. She was red-faced and panting slightly, water bottle clutched in her hand.

"Go ahead." All Might smiled at the two teenagers and made his exit. Now that he knew Midoriya was hiding something, it was only a matter of time before the freckled boy would come clean and admit it. Midoriya seemed to be in good hands, so the pro hero took his cue to exit.

"Thanks Uraraka-san. You saved me there." Izuku sighed in relief as soon as his mentor was out of earshot. He bent down to pick up his water bottle and turned around to find Uraraka looking at him with curiosity.

"You looked uncomfortable. You haven't told All Might or Aizawa-sensei…?" The gravity girl asked, looking around to make sure the teachers in question weren't nearby.

"No." Midoriya scratched his head and looked away awkwardly. Ochaco wasn't one to talk though, she had only told Deku and not her parents, so it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Midoriya was still looking away, so she decided to change the topic.

"More importantly, Kirishima-kun told me you had a panic attack yesterday! Are you all right now?" Ochaco had been worried out of her mind when she had heard from Kirishima that morning as they headed downstairs at the same time, but she hadn't been able to catch Deku alone during the day and ask him. She could have texted him and asked, but she preferred to talk in person.

"Yeah, luckily both Iida-kun and Kirishima-kun were there to help me. But I'm fine now." He looked at her with a small smile, remembering how the two had stayed with him for over an hour before they believed he was fine. He had been happy that his friends cared so much about him and couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm glad." She replied with a smile of her own and started heading towards the exit, Izuku right beside her.

"What about you? Have you had any trouble after the checkup?" It had only been two days, but the brunette was feeling like she usually did.

"Only trouble sleeping." Ochaco tapped a finger on her chin, thinking. She hadn't been nauseous again and she was pretty much back on her feet. She had even been able to participate in the super move training without any problems, so she assumed she was fine. Her quirk was back to normal as well.

"I see."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, both lost in thought, but occasionally brushing against each other. Izuku managed to keep his cool when their arms touched, but he was still incredibly self-conscious about their close proximity. The dorm was only five more minutes away when Ochaco remembered why she had wanted to see him.

"Oh that's right! I have a favor to ask of you." The brunette stopped walking and looked at him with pleading eyes. Izuku didn't know what she was going to ask, but he was already doomed. He couldn't refuse her when she looked at him like that and made his face flush.

"What is it?" His voice a tad more high-pitched than he would have liked, but Uraraka didn't seem to notice it. She stopped staring at him and grabbed a strand of her hair to twirl between her fingers. She was a little embarrassed to be asking, but he was her only hope.

"Could-you-maybe-tutor-me-until-the-end-of-term?" She blurted out and hid her face in her hands. She was too embarrassed to look at his face, but willed herself to calm down and face him.

"Come again?" Izuku wasn't sure he had heard her correctly, but it had sounded like she was asking him to tutor her.

"You know the tutoring Iida-kun suggested? I was hoping you would tutor me. Iida-kun already offered to help me, but I feel like I wouldn't be able to meet his expectations if he took the time to teach me. That and I feel like I understand things better when you are the one teaching me." Uraraka explained and removed her hands from her face, focusing instead on kicking pebbles on the ground.

"I don't think Iida-kun would think badly of you if he was in charge of tutoring you, but I don't mind helping you." Izuku consented, already imagining Iida blaming himself for not being a better tutor.

"Really? You're the best, Deku!" Uraraka brightened and threw her arms around his waist, making him squeak from surprise.

He still wasn't used to being hugged, so he had no idea how to react and before he knew it, Uraraka had let go of him and started walking again. He didn't regret agreeing, but if she kept hugging him like that, he wasn't sure his heart would be able to take it.


	7. Chapter 7

"So if you apply this formula here, you are one step away from solving the whole equation." Izuku pointed to a formula on the page that he had marked with a box around it. His pencil tapped lightly against the paper while he waited for his companion to finish writing it down.

"Ooooh! I see now!" Uraraka's eyes lit up with understanding. They had been working on their math homework for nearly an hour and they were finally getting close to finishing. Tomorrow, they were going to review English, which was one of Ochaco's weaker subjects and the part she dreaded the most. After finishing up their homework for the day, Ochaco sank back on the chair and exhaled loudly.

Working with Deku had been rewarding to say at least. He was patient, spoke kindly and practically glowed when she solved problems correctly. His encouraging smiles had also been an added bonus, and Ochaco found that she didn't mind one bit when his smiles were directed towards her.

"I'm surprised we finished so quickly." Midoriya said as he closed his notebooks and put them back in his bag. They were sitting at one of the tables in the common room and it was getting close to dinnertime, so it felt great to be done ahead of time. They hadn't been the only ones who were studying on the first floor and their classmates were steadily showing up.

Iida had offered to help them study, but he was on cooking duty that day so they had decided to study with him the following day instead. Todoroki had also joined them for a while, but he finished early and returned to his room, wanting to take a nap before dinner. Ochaco found that she didn't mind Todoroki studying with them, he was good at challenging Midoriya and the two often ended up in deep discussion.

Another thing she had noticed was how relaxed Deku was around the hybrid quirk user, and she was glad their friendship had grown as much as it had. She was aware that Midoriya didn't have many friends, but he seemed to be content with her and Todoroki. Of course there were also Iida and Tsuyu-chan as well as Kirishima, Kaminari and, grudgingly she admitted, Bakugo. She just couldn't wrap her head around why such a sweet and kind person didn't have hordes of people swarming him. At some point, she decided, she was going to ask him, but right now, Ochaco just wanted to go back to her room and relax.

"It feels like we've been sitting here forever!" She exclaimed which earned a chuckle from her dorky friend. He had been so pleasant to study with and the brunette wondered why she hadn't asked him ages ago. They were slowly getting ready to head back upstairs, when Izuku called for her to see something on his phone. Ochaco found herself staring at Izuku's mother and a tiny kitten asleep in her arms.

"I can't believe your mom got a kitty! It's so cute!" Ochaco squealed with delight when Deku showed her the most recent picture his mom had sent him. Inko had been lonely without her baby boy around, so she had finally decided to get a pet, something she had wanted when she was younger.

"Her name is Coco." Izuku knew his mom had always wanted to own a cat, and he was glad she finally made the decision to get one. Coco was a right sweeatheart and had not stopped purring once when she was finally introduced to Izuku the previous weekend. Izuku had adored her.

"Can I meet her? I love cats!" Uraraka beamed up at him and made his knees weak. She was standing so close to him that Izuku thought he was going to pass out. He could move his hand a little and it would be close enough to grab hers, but he kept it firmly planted on his side.

"I, uh, will ask my mom-but-I-am-sure-it's-fine!" The poor boy couldn't keep the pitch in his voice out and blurted out his sentence. She was about to say something, when a loud noise startled her. Izuku saw her eyes widen in fear and her body freeze, before she shrieked. He reacted instantly and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her against him and steadying her. Her shoulders were shaking slightly and she kept her eyes down. He felt her suck in a breath as he called her name. She looked up at him with terrified eyes and his stomach sank. She had been doing so well with her stress and the side-effects from the villain attacks and it broke his heart to see her that scared.

"Uraraka!" The chorus of loud, feminine voices that had startled her sounded again, and the two of them stepped away from each other. Izuku kept his eyes glued on his friend as she was approached by the other girls. Uraraka had regained her composure and took a deep breath before the girls reached her.

"Uraraka! Are you finished studying?" Mina appeared behind them with Hagakure in tow. The two girls had been studying with Yaoyorozu and looked about ready to collapse. They were followed by Jiro who was toying with her jacks, lazily watching the interaction.

"Yes?" Ochaco glanced at Izuku, who nodded his head and collected his things so he could leave them to their girl talk. He could faintly hear the excited whisper of Ashido and hoped Uraraka would be fine.

In that moment where their eyes had met, he had seen relief as well as a little bit of darkness in her eyes. Izuku had interpreted the look she gave him as a sign that she was okay on her own, but the dimming light in her eyes made him worry. He had a feeling she was in for a rough night.

* * *

He had been right. He hadn't heard from Uraraka the rest of the evening and had spent time with Iida and some of the other boys. Even Kacchan had been present, but the blonde hadn't picked on Izuku once. While he was hanging out with the guys, his eyes kept wandering towards the kitchen where he could see the backs of all the girls, who were currently baking something.

His eyes had sought out the brunette in the group and he tried his best to stay seated and not run over to her. Her movements were stiff and he could see that she wasn't as animated as she usually was. Izuku relaxed a little when he saw Asui approach her and put a hand on her back. He felt a little better knowing that Asui was there to keep an eye on her and Izuku decided to call it a night.

He had been asleep for a couple of hours when he was woken by his cell phone vibrating on his headboard's shelf. His hand searched for the phone and he twisted to the side to look for it. The display was still glowing after receiving a text message, so he managed to grab it before the screen turned black. Unlocking the screen, he was glad he hadn't put his phone on silent.

 _Are you up?_ Uraraka's message read.

 _Yeah. Are you okay?_ The glare from the screen had been blinding at first, but now that Izuku's eyes had adjusted to the brightness, he could focus on other things. Like the worry gnawing away at him.

 _Can you come downstairs?_ Izuku was already out of bed looking for his slippers, before he texted her back, saying he'd be there in a minute.

Once he reached the first floor, he saw Uraraka sitting in the same sofa he'd found her in almost two weeks ago. The scene looked too familiar for his liking, with Uraraka curled up in the sofa and hugging her knees to her chest. She looked up briefly when he stepped closer, but didn't say anything when he sat down next to her and they sat like that for more than five minutes.

Izuku leaned back a little and rested his head on the back of the sofa. He could still feel sleep clinging to him, but he willed himself to stay awake in case Uraraka needed him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and saw that she wasn't as tense as before. Izuku secretly hoped that his presence had been the comfort she sought, but he mentally slapped himself. Now was not the time for shellfish desires. He should try to get her to speak about the nightmare that was bound to have woken her. If she had slept at all, that is.

"Uraraka-san?" She flinched a little when he spoke, having been lost in thought, but looked over at him nonetheless. Ochaco saw him sitting next to her, his hair a mess, his eyes sleepy, but filled with so much worry that she regretted asking him to come down. She didn't want to make him worry like that!

Tears welled up in her eyes as the images from her terrible dream flashed before her. Deku had been battered and bruised, but had gone to the end of the world to save her, much like he was doing right now. She couldn't stand seeing him so worried because of her, she just wanted him to smile like he always did. And he was the one who kept getting hurt in her dreams and she absolutely hated it. He was always, always, _always_ saving her even when he was hurt himself. She just didn't want him to worry so much about her.

"I can't help worrying about you. You are important to me." His voice was soft and he reached over to brush away the tears on her cheeks, but how did he know that his constant worry had been on her mind? It took Ochaco a second to realize that she had said everything out loud without knowing it. Oh god, how could she be so stupid?

Ochaco hid her face in her hands, she was so embarrassed. The tears were smeared all over her face and her eyes stung, but she couldn't bring herself to break apart what little protection her hands offered.

"Please don't be embarrassed, Uraraka-san." Ochaco felt him shift closer to her and she fought the urge to jump up and run out of the dorm.

"This is the first time you've actually asked for help and told me about your nightmares. I don't want you to feel that it is embarrassing to talk about, when it makes me happy that you trust me enough to confide in me." Ochaco felt his light touch on the back of her hand and he gently pried her hands away from her face. She let him. Her hands landed on her lap and grabbed the fabric of her shorts.

Ochaco sneaked a glance at him and even in the darkness of the lounge, his green eyes shone. He was closer to her than he had been the first time they sat like this, but it wasn't his close proximity that surprised her most. It was his outstretched hand waiting for hers.

For a moment, Ochaco didn't know what to do. This was the first time he initiated the contact and she felt herself feeling fuzzy, but the feeling disappeared again. When she slowly reached out and placed her palm in his bigger one, the fuzzy feeling returned. His skin was rough from all the training and the scars from his battles, but it was warm and Ochaco wanted the warmth to stay with her forever.

His grip tightened on her hand for second, and for the second time that night, Ochaco felt herself taken aback by his actions. He was slowly – and awkwardly – putting his free arm around her shoulders and drawing her closer to his side. They had hugged a few times before, but she had always been the one to initiate. She knew how hard it was for Deku to handle casual touches, much less initiate them, but she was baffled that he was putting an arm around her of his own accord.

She could feel the hand she was holding shaking the tiniest bit, but when Deku's arm came to rest and he found a comfortable position to be in, his hand relaxed. She couldn't help but look up at him. His cheeks were probably flushed, but she couldn't tell from the darkness in the room. She had expected him to be embarrassed and look away, but he was looking right back at her, never breaking eye-contact.

Ochaco felt like he was looking right into her soul.

"Was it because Ashido-san startled you?" His voice was calm, and Ochaco felt his ribs rumble when he spoke. She nodded her head and shifted on the sofa, so she was more comfortable, which of course meant that she was pressed against Midoriya, while he was holding her.

"I don't like people sneaking up on me. Not after… Anyways, she apologized later for surprising me." Ochaco sighed deeply.

She had been tense and jumpy ever since it happened and she was finally able to put it behind her. It was funny how easily Deku took away her unease and hurt, without even doing anything. He was just there. He always was, she realized.

"I understand." Ochaco was too tired to carry on the conversation and resigned herself to putting her head on his shoulder. Deku stiffened for a second, but relaxed soon after and started rubbing tiny circles on the back of her hand. His shoulder was a comfortable place to rest on and Ochaco soaked in the warmth that radiated off him. She had nearly fallen back asleep when he spoke again.

"My mom said that we could drop by tomorrow after classes." Ochaco made an agreeing sound and returned to dozing off on Midoriya's shoulder.

"Uraraka-san?" Izuku tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but her hair had fallen in front of it and she had gone silent and was starting to breathe deeply. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

Izuku's cheeks flushed as he let go of her hand and seated himself better so she was leaning back a little more. He couldn't stop the impulse to brush her hair back and tenderly placed it behind her ear. His hand rested on the side of her face for a moment, before his retracted his hand and breathed deeply to get his blushing face under control.

* * *

 **I find it so hard to write other characters than these two dorks! Anywho, Ochaco is meeting Inko next week. Stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 8

Uraraka had been asleep for close to an hour and Izuku's left arm had gone numb. He checked his phone every few minutes with his right hand, hoping that enough time would have passed so he could wake her up without feeling too guilty. The green-haired teen tried flexing his fingers on his left arm, but all he felt was needles prickling him all the way up to the shoulder.

Every once in a while, she would frown or let out a small sound, but other than that Uraraka was fast asleep. Izuku felt like a horrible human being for enjoying the way her body was leaning on him and the feel of her weight pressed to his side. Her head was still on his shoulder, but it slipped down a few centimeters after a while. He hoped she wouldn't wake up with a crick in her neck.

Izuku frowned and considered carrying Uraraka to her room, but he wasn't comfortable with just grabbing her and bringing her upstairs. For one, it would be inappropriate of him since she was asleep and couldn't consent to letting him carry her. Aside from his moral issues, there was also the possibility that the brunette had left her room locked and he didn't know where she kept her keys. He would die before he searched her pockets and decided to just give her some more time to rest before he would wake her.

Just as he had come to decision, the door to the stairway creaked open and a beam of light swept unto the floor. The light momentarily blinded him, but he was able to distinguish the silhouette of one person with very spiky hair standing frozen in the door.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" Kacchan's voice was a low growl that sent chills down Izuku's spine. If the room had been better lit, Izuku would have seen that his red eyes were narrowed to slits.

"K-kacchan, it's not what you think! Uraraka-san just fell asleep while we were sitting, nothing else!" Izuku explained in a hushed tone, trying his best not to wake the sleeping girl on her shoulder. She didn't seem to have been disturbed, so now Izuku only had to convince the explosively tempered boy that he wasn't taking advantage of Uraraka.

"Ah?" He didn't sound convinced and drawled out the sound. Bakugo shut the door behind him and stomped to the kitchen and Izuku stared after him, puzzled by his reaction, or rather lack thereof.

Katsuki had just wanted to get some water or juice to soothe his dry throat, he hadn't expected anyone to be up and sitting in the lounge area. Seeing Deku and Uraraka all cuddled up had rubbed him the wrong way and instantly worsened his mood. Grabbing a carton of milk instead, he poured the liquid into a glass and glanced over at the dark corner of the lounge where he could make out the shape of Deku.

He was pretty damn sure the nerd was telling the truth, but he felt angry just looking at them. Why the fuck did Deku have to be sitting there and see him awake at this hour? Katsuki could care less why the shitty nerd and Round Face were sitting there, but he'd be damned if he let Deku see the dark circles under his eyes. It was bad enough that Kirishima kept pestering him about not getting enough sleep, he didn't want the shitrag to start crying about it too.

Katsuki downed the milk and washed the glass before placing it back in the cupboard. The blond ground his teeth and made his way back to the lounge so he could head back to his room. He preferred taking the stairs all the way up to his floor and saw it as effortless training rather than a tedious task. As he passed, he noticed that Deku was trying to untangle himself from Uraraka, and he couldn't help but growl in annoyance as he stalked out of the room and back to the staircase. Fucking Deku, always popping up everywhere. Katsuki just wanted to be in a nerd-free atmosphere, but no, even when the green-haired bitch was supposed to be sleeping, he was sitting there babysitting Round Face and doing fuck knows what. They could all go to hell, Katsuki had better things to do. Like sleeping.

* * *

Izuku had wanted to explain the situation to Kacchan, but the angry boy had gone to the kitchen and returned before Izuku could free himself from Uraraka's surprisingly strong grip on his arm. The blond had left the room without a word, but had still sent a murderous glare in their direction. Izuku knew that Kacchan wouldn't care why the two of them were in the common room instead of sleeping, but he still wanted to explain it to him. Sitting back, Izuku sighed in defeat. There was no getting through to Kacchan no matter how hard he tried, and frankly, he didn't have the energy to deal with the blond's temper.

It was still dark out, but the sun would be rising in two hours. Izuku knew he needed to get some sleep and gently shook the brunette awake. He had been surprised that she didn't wake up when Bakugo appeared, but then again, her nerves had been on edge all day and she was probably still exhausted. He felt so bad for waking her up, but they had class in the morning and both needed to go to bed.

"Uraraka-san?" At the sound of his voice, she stirred and let go of his arm. The brunette blinked at him owlishly and moved to the side to sit up straight.

"Deku-kun?" Ochaco was disoriented and had no idea why she was with Deku in the common room. The last thing she remembered was lying in her own bed and waking up with her heart in her throat… then texting Deku to come downstairs. Oh.

"I'm so sorry, did I fall asleep?" Ochaco looked out of the window, but she couldn't tell what time it was. It was still dark out, but it had been past midnight when she came down here, so it was probably really late.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We should probably get to bed soon, though." Midoriya replied and showed him his phone display which said it was past 3 in the morning. They both got up and Ochaco stretched her tired limbs before following Deku to the elevator.

"How long was I asleep?" It had felt like she had just closed her eyes, but her stiff and aching body told her she had slept soundly for at least an hour while sitting upright.

"Two hours." He said and looked at her over his shoulder, a soft expression on his face. He was glad to see that she wasn't jittery any longer.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep! You should have woken me!" The gravity user pouted and reached his side. He had already pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. Ochaco only then noticed the dark circles under his eyes and instantly felt bad for waking him in the middle of the night on a weekday.

"Deku-"

"Don't apologize." He cracked another half-smile at her as the doors opened and they entered, Ochaco wincing from the bright lights inside, but still trailing behind him. She noticed him suppressing a yawn and thought that he looked cute when he tried to hide it – no, that was not what she thought, absolutely not!

She had just followed him into the elevator and was standing directly in front of the button panel, so when he reached over to press the buttons for the second and fourth floor, his hand brushed her arm on the way and sent tingles down her skin. She tried to her best to suppress the shiver that ran through her body and desperately hoped he didn't notice. The sudden movement of the elevator sent her stumbling forward the tiniest bit and she stopped right in front of him.

There was so little distance between them that she could count the freckles on his face. Ochaco noticed for a second time that night how the light reflected off of his eyes and she felt herself drawn to them. His eyes were always filled with emotions and she could always read his mood by locking eyes with him, now though, she just wanted to look at them forever. Ochaco felt herself inching closer and his green eyes landed on hers, sending tiny shivers down her spine.

Ochaco sucked in a breath and lowered her eyes to his lips. She just had to close the distance between them to touch her lips to his. Her fingers twitched with the urge to trace the outline of his lips and she found herself spellbound. Ochaco raised her eyes once again and found Deku peering at her curiously. Her hand moved slowly and grabbed hold of his sleeve and she leaned the tiniest bit forward before the ding of the elevator startled her out of her trance. Her hand snapped back as if burned and she took a step back for good measure.

"Are you okay?" Midoriya asked, concern filling his expression as he moved past her towards the door. Ochaco's cheeks burned in shame and she quickly nodded. His arm was blocking the sensor in the door and she wished he'd just hurry up and leave.

"I'm fine! I'll see you tomorrow!" She honestly just wanted to be swallowed up by a hole and disappear into the ground forever.

Izuku finally moved away from the door and stepped out into the hallway. It was late and Uraraka was acting kind of out of it. She was probably delirious from having her sleep interrupted so frequently, so Izuku decided to let her retire to bed and ask her how she was feeling in the morning instead.

"Goodnight." He said to her as the doors closed, blocking his view of her. Was it just him or was her face looking a little red? Maybe she had a fever and was feeling dizzy, but her temperature had been normal when she had been leaning against him. Izuku shook his head and headed back to his room.

Once the doors closed Ochaco felt relief and guilt flood her. It didn't take her long to make it back to her room, but the moment she was inside, she shut the door and slid down with her back against the wood. Was she out of her mind? Had she actually thought about _kissing_ Deku? What was happening to her? The thoughts swarmed inside her head and she got up from the floor and climbed into bed, hoping that sleep would claim her and silence her mind. She wasn't that lucky. The thoughts buzzed around in her head and she kept picturing Midoriya's face so close to hers. She had been so close! A little closer and she could have experienced how his lips felt against hers- no, she couldn't think like that! They were just friends, nothing else. So why was her heart still racing?

The following morning, Ochaco was at peace with herself. She had decided that last nights near-incident was a result of her being sleep-deprived and on edge for so long. Deku being her close friend, whom she confided in, just happened to be present at the moment of her insanity. Luckily, she hadn't acted on her impulses and she was spared the embarrassment of her would-be action. That was why she had spent her morning practicing how to face Midoriya, before heading for class. Of course, luck would have it that he was the only person she encountered outside.

"Uraraka-san! Good morning." Deku called out to her and hurried his pace to catch up with her. His tie was crooked, she noticed.

"Good morning. Where's Iida-kun?" The brunette asked and ignored the fluttering sensation in her stomach. Their pace had slowed to a comfortable stroll and time seemed to slow around them as they walked to the main campus.

"He had some papers to submit, so he went on ahead. How are you feeling?" Green eyes locked onto hers and made her forget how to speak. Ochaco cleared her head and faced him head on.

"I'm fine. Thanks for staying up with me." She smiled brightly, actually feeling a lot better than the previous day. She was even feeling more energized because of the coffee she had taken to drinking in the morning.

"You're welcome. I was thinking that we could head straight to the station after school today. Mom would like for you to stay for dinner." Deku flashed one of those smiles that made her knees feel weak and she found herself agreeing in a heartbeat.

"Sounds great!" She replied, before the feeling of not wanting to impose on his mother appeared. She didn't get to say anything else before she was rudely interrupted.

" _Move._ " Bakugo all but snarled at them and forcefully strode right in between them, knocking shoulders with them both. He didn't even turn to look at them, or heaven forbid, apologize for walking into them, and just continued in a much faster pace.

"What's his problem?" Ochaco muttered and rubbed her shoulder. There hadn't been much impact, but nevertheless, she disliked the feeling of purposely being bumped into.

"I don't know. Are you okay?" Midoriya took hold of her arm and searched her face for signs of discomfort. Her hand found his and she gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it fall back down.

"Yeah. I guess I'm used to Bakugo being pissed for no reason, but he could at least watch where he is going." The brunette complained sourly. Taking a deep breath, she decided she didn't want to waste her energy on the moody teenager and instead focus on what made her happy.

"That aside, I can't wait to see Coco!" She was really looking forward to cuddling the kitty and couldn't wait for school to end.

"I think you'll like her." Midoriya chuckled and they resumed walking, this time hurrying a bit more. They still had ten minutes until the bell rang, but sped up anyway.

"I just remembered there is a place I want to stop by before we go to the station, is that okay?" Ochaco had decided to bring a small gift, since it was the first time she was meeting his mother and she didn't want to come across rude.

"Sure."

The rest of the day passed in a flash, with Ochaco ignoring the tingling feeling whenever Midoriya smiled at her and pretended her cheeks weren't flushed when he laughed at something she said. Before they knew it, the last bell rang and both teenagers headed out to their first stop. After finishing her purchase, Ochaco followed Midoriya to the train station.

The whole train ride was spent chatting about classes, homework, training, friends and everything that came to mind. Izuku felt nervous every time he thought about bringing a friend home. Uraraka was the first friend from high school that was going to be introduced to his mother, and it was freaking him out. He knew that his mom would adore the brunette, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why he was feeling so damn nervous!

"Is something wrong?" Uraraka tilted her head and studied him. He had been toying with the sleeve of his uniform, something he did when he felt anxious.

"I, uh, it's the first time I'm bringing a friend over, I guess that I'm a little nervous, which is absurd, right? I mean, it is completely normal for high schoolers to bring friends home, so I have no reason to be nervous, I should just relax and-" Izuku's mutter storm was interrupted when Uraraka who was sitting beside him placed a hand on his arm and told him to breathe.

"You didn't have many friends before U.A?" Ochaco stated more than asked. She was aware how bad his relationship with Bakugo was, but surely he'd had other friends in middle school?

"I didn't have any real friends before you and Iida-kun. Most people avoided me or made fun of me. Ah, but don't worry about it! It's all in the past and we should focus on the present, right?" Izuku veered off when he noticed the saddened expression that came over Uraraka. How could he tell her what a nightmare middle school had been when she got upset over hearing he hadn't had any friends?

How would she react if he told her he'd been quirkless? Would she be disgusted? Pity him? Would she laugh at him? No, Uraraka wasn't like that. If she found out the truth about his childhood, she would be angry on his behalf. That was the type of person she was, she would never ridicule him for something that was out of his control.

"This is our stop." Izuku said, happy for the distraction. He didn't know why he was thinking about Uraraka's reaction and now wasn't the time to overanalyze. He would think about it later and figure out why it was affecting him so much.

* * *

"Over here, hurry!" Izuku pulled Uraraka after him and breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the little shelter. It had started pouring rain out of nowhere and they had both taken off as fast as they could, but both managed to get soaked.

"Sorry, if I hadn't stepped into the store we could probably have avoided the rain." Ochaco tried to get her breathing under control. Her school uniform and flats weren't ideal for sprinting in and she sincerely wished she had brought an umbrella with her. Her hair was plastered to her face and she was soaking wet.

"It's not your fault, we couldn't have known it was going to rain." Izuku panted and leaned on the wall behind him. He should have checked the weather forecast before he went to school that morning, but he'd barely been awake.

"I hope it stops soon. I don't want to catch a cold." Uraraka muttered beside him and peeked out from the safety of the overhead shelter. The thumping sounds of the raindrops only increased in intensity and she was grateful they had found a shelter.

"We can stay here until it lets up." Izuku suggested and unzipped his bag. He was sure he had a hand towel in there somewhere. He could already feel the cold seep into his bones and looked forward to taking a hot shower and wear a sweater. He couldn't find the towel.

They had been standing for close to five minutes when the rain finally cleared. Izuku led the way and told her stories about his childhood as they worked their way around his neighborhood. He had just pointed out the building their apartment was in when another shower hit them. Their damp clothes got drenched and Izuku grabbed Uraraka's hand and pulled her the rest of the way to his building. After a few flight of stairs, Izuku led her to a wooden door. Unlocking the door, he took off his shoes and gestured for Uraraka to follow him.

"Mom, I'm home!" He called. Ochaco had just passed the door when a tiny mewl made her look up and she came face to face with a plump woman with a softer version of Deku's features and the same green hair.

"Welco- Oh you poor dears, you're soaking wet!" She suddenly disappeared from sight and returned a second later with a bunch of towels in her arms.

"We got caught in the rain." Deku laughed and gratefully accepted the towel from his mother and handed Ochaco one. It was only then she remembered that she hadn't introduced herself.

"My name is Uraraka Ochaco, thank you for having me!" Ochaco bowed and straightened up to see a smile form on the older woman's face. She looked so much like Deku when she smiled!

"Where are my manners? Come in, I'm Izuku's mother, Midoriya Inko. Thank you for always taking care of my son."

* * *

 **Don't hate me for stopping the kiss! Ochaco just met her future mother-in-law, how do you think this meeting will go? (=w=)/**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: A little late, but here you go. As always, thank you so much for the continued support, I really appreciate it.**

* * *

During the 5 minutes Ochaco had spent standing in the hallway, she had realized a couple of things. Her clothes weren't completely soaked, but still enough that she would likely catch a cold if she stayed in them. She should take of her jacket, which had offered her some protection. She didn't have any spare clothes in her bag, not even a sweater. The Midoriyas realized the same thing and started panicking about what to do. Deku was the spitting image of his mother. The list went on.

"Uraraka-san, why don't you take a shower? I'll lay out something for you to wear." Deku's mother suggested. The kind woman had handed her a soft towel to initially dry herself off with, but upon noticing how wet the young girl's uniform was, she immediately wanted to hang it to dry.

"Are you sure? And please, call me Ochaco." The brunette had replied. Her hair was a tangled, wet mess and she actually wouldn't mind a hot shower, but this was the first time she was meeting Midoriya-san, and she really didn't want to impose.

"I insist! I don't want either of you to catch a cold." The kind lady frowned looking from her son to his friend. She still had one towel draped over her arm and with determined eyes, she turned around and headed out of the entrance.

"I agree. It's better if you get out of your wet clothes, Uraraka-san." Deku spoke up from beside her. At some point he had bent down and picked up something from the floor and Ochaco finally noticed the purring mass of fur between his hands.

"Coco!" She nearly squealed in delight. Ochaco had always loved animals and kitties were no exception. She stepped closer to Deku who gently held out his palms where the kitten was curled up.

Its dark eyes were looking closely at Ochaco as she approached. The kitten had dark grey-brown fur on its body and head, while its face and underbelly were completely white. She was small enough for Deku to hold her in both of his hands without dropping her and she looked incredibly comfortable. Ochaco, who knew a thing or two about cats, stopped a few steps away and slowly turned her head to the side, revealing her neck. As a child, she had never quite understood the need for mutual respect between a human and a tiny cat, but now she knew better.

If she was going to become a licensed hero in the near future, she would have to willingly put herself in situations where she was completely vulnerable and in danger. It was only a matter of coming out on top. As Ochaco turned her head back, she noticed Deku's gaze resting on her and she felt the urge to look away. A tiny meow could be heard and Coco the kitty leapt down from the green-haired teenager and down onto the floor. She slinked past Ochaco, but stopped momentarily and regarded the brunette. She was standing a few centimeters away, but cautiously moved forwards and sniffed the hand Ochaco had bent down to offer her. Seemingly satisfied, Coco turned around and padded out of the entrance.

"What just happened?" Deku asked in a whisper. He had watched the interaction between the kitten and his friend, but hadn't quite understood its significance. He turned his eyes towards the brunette who had resumed patting her hair dry.

"Coco decided I wasn't a threat. She'll probably come back when my clothes aren't dripping with water." Ochaco answered and pointed to the small gathering of water from where she had been standing still.

"Oh." Deku grinned. He finally realized that they were still standing in the entryway and prompted Ochaco to follow him. After discarding her shoes, she followed the freckled boy inside the apartment and started looking around.

The living room was moderately sized and was separated by a dining table which then led into the kitchen, like in their dorm. Ochaco had come to like the open-concept kitchen and living rooms and the Midoriyas' home was no exception. It was cozy and gave off a very soothing feel. The walls were decorated with pictures of Deku ranging from his time as a toddler and all the way up to the present. The couch had several pillows and a throw over one arm, which made Ochaco want to cuddle up next to someone and watch a movie. The coffee table was bare save for a box of tissues and the remote to the TV. She stepped closer to some of the pictures on a dresser next to the wall and they were of Deku with his mother. They looked happy together, she realized.

"Uraraka-san, the bath is ready." Deku's voice popped into her head and stopped her quest to explore the living room. He came to a stop beside her and gave her a small smile when he noticed her looking at the pictures of him and his mom. They were some of his most treasured memories after all.

"O-okay." Ochaco cursed herself for stammering and tried her best to act normal when she looked up at him.

A towel was slung over his shoulders and he had removed his jacket, which left him in his white shirt that had become transparent and was clinging to his body like second skin. Ochaco felt heat rush to her cheeks and tried her best to conceal the blush creeping up her face. It was no secret that most of the guys in class 1A were well-built and lean, but seeing the toned muscles under Deku's shirt made her realize that he, too, was one of those guys. He didn't notice her turmoil and started leading her out of the room.

She was grateful that Deku walked in front of her and wasn't able to see her reddening face. On the other hand, she had quite the view of his back and her eyes were glued to how his muscles stood out and shifted when he moved his arm to pat the rest of his hair dry. Ochaco's knees almost buckled. Deku suddenly stopped walking and she was centimeters from crashing into him before she straightened up.

He had stopped in front of a door and was explaining to her how the shower worked, but she was barely listening. Now that the brunette was standing so close to him, she could feel the heat radiating off him and she realized that her body was feeling cold. The feeling of wanting to stand even closer to his heat snuck up on Ochaco and she nearly smacked herself. Thanking him, she hurried inside and shut the door behind her.

What was going on? Ochaco couldn't understand why she was acting weird around Deku. He was just her friend, so why did it feel like her eyes only followed him? This wasn't the first time Ochaco had thought about wanting to be closer with the pile of freckles she called a friend. She had often found herself searching for his mop of green hair in a crowd and somehow she always ended up next to him. She was friends with Iida too, but she never felt nervous around him the same way she felt with Deku.

"What's wrong with me?" Ochaco whispered to herself as she removed her clothes and stepped inside the shower cubicle. The taps were colored red and blue, so it was easy to adjust the temperature to her liking.

She had a pretty good idea of what was going on with her, but she wasn't ready to accept it yet. If she acknowledged her feelings, there would be no going back and Ochaco didn't want to risk it. Her goal was to become a hero, she reminded herself, not to get a boyfriend. The warm water washed over her skin and she felt the cold gradually disappear.

There was nothing wrong with liking someone and among the boys in their class, Deku was the sweetest and most heroic of all, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she was starting to develop feelings for him. Still, Ochaco wasn't ready to say it out loud and pushed it to the back of her mind. She wasn't here to pine after Izuku, she was here to play with Coco.

' _You're only saying that because he isn't interested in you. You are playing it safe.'_ A dark whisper sounded in her head. She had been caught off guard this time and was startled badly. Taking a deep breath, Ochaco braced herself for what was to come.

' _He'll never see you the same way and you know it. That's why you pretend you don't love him, but you know you do and_ I _know you do.'_ The voice dripped with venom and made her shiver despite the warm water.

' _You're so pitiful Uraraka Ochaco. Always the second choice, never relied upon, never wanted… Even your parents sent you away because you are a burden. What makes you think you'll ever be good enough for him? He could have anyone he wanted, he wouldn't even look at you twice. He just pities you. You're nothing…'_ Ochaco did her best to ignore the painful words, but still sank to her knees.

The water that had been soothing before now felt scalding and she found it hard to breathe. Ochaco started sobbing as the words repeated themselves in her head. It was her own voice she heard. A few days after the villain ambush, she had started hearing her darkest thoughts that she normally dismissed. The intensity of the voice depended on how well she was feeling and right now, she was able to slowly shut it out. She had learned that physical pain made the voice fade, so she had started digging her nails into her palms when she couldn't handle it.

Ochaco knew it was wrong, but the pain in her palms felt like nothing compared to the way her dark voice cut through her. She was aware that it was an after-effect of the villain poison and she had decided that she was going to report it, but every time she picked up her phone to call Ryukyu, she chickened out. How could she explain that she was hearing voices that knew her darkest secrets without everyone thinking she was nuts? She was still building up the courage to tell the doctors, but until she did, she would have to deal with the voice on her own.

Ochaco breathed in and held her breath for a few seconds to slow her heart rate. The water was still running down her body and she tried to focus on the paths it took across her skin. The seconds ticked by and she exhaled deeply, before she repeated the process a few more times. Once she had calmed down, the brunette got up from the floor and turned off the water, letting the last few droplets run down her skin. Her eyes stung a little from a mixture of water and tears, but other than that she was fine. Her palms hadn't been harmed and she was glad she had been able to come back to her senses.

Stepping out of the shower and onto the floor mat, Ochaco finally noticed what Midoriya-san had laid out for her to wear. It was a pair of soft pajama bottoms and a long sleeved shirt that looked too big for her. Still, it was better than putting on her wet uniform so after drying off, she started getting dressed. She had been right. The shirt was too big for her and kept slipping down her shoulder and the pants were a bit too long, but they were dry and comfortable. An extra towel had been laid out for her and Ochaco got to work on drying her hair.

As soon as she exited the bathroom a meow sounded from the floor and she was surprised to see Coco staring expectantly at her. Ochaco bent down and extended her hand towards the cat, who was trilling and swiftly moved to nuzzle her head against the brunette's hand. Ochaco smiled and picked up the kitty before cuddling her close to her chest. Coco purred contently and let her head rest against where Ochaco's heart would be.

"I see you've become friends." Midoriya-san spoke from behind Ochaco. The brunette turned around and saw the older woman looking at her with a soft expression on her face.

"She's a sweetheart." Ochaco replied and cuddled the kitty even closer. Coco's eyes were turned up towards her and she stretched up to press her snout to the brunette's face.

"Would like some tea, Ochaco?" Deku's mom asked her and Ochaco was reminded of her own mother from the way her name was said.

"Yes please, Midoriya-san."

"If I'm going to call you by your first name, you have to call me Inko as well." The kind woman smiled again, and Ochaco couldn't figure out if she was being serious or not. Knowing her son, she probably was.

"Okay, Inko-san. Where's De- I mean Midoriya-kun?" Ochaco stopped herself from calling him Deku. She wasn't sure how his mother would react and they had agreed it was probably better if she called him by his real name, but it was going to be harder than she thought.

"He's in his room down the hall. Could you please get him? The tea is almost ready." Inko-san asked of her and pointed to where she would find his room. As Ochaco trod down the hallway, almost tripping over her pants, Coco mewled once before jumping down to the floor and taking the lead. The kitty looked over its shoulder once to make sure Ochaco was following her and marched on.

The second Ochaco saw his door, she felt a smile creep up her face. An All Might name plate was hanging on the door and spelled Izuku. She wondered how old he had been when he got it, and proceeded to knock on the door that had been left slightly open. Coco had already pushed it open and Ochaco followed the cat into a gallery devoted to All Might and some other top heroes.

"I think this'll fit her better Mom." Deku was rummaging through a drawer and spoke when he heard her enter.

"You really are a fanboy." Ochaco chuckled when Deku jumped at the sound of her voice. He dropped whatever had been in his hands and his face turned beet-red.

"U-u-uraraka-san?!"

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 **I can't believe season 2 ended... and the manga is killing me... I also need to write more... See you next time! (=w=)/**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I love you guys so much! Thank you for all your reviews, favs and follows, it means the world to me! I try to respond to every review individually, but if I don't, just know that I've probably replied mentally and forgotten to do it irl… whoops! Also, your feedback and reviews give me life! Enjoy!**

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Izuku wanted to die from embarrassment. First of all _his room_. Secondly, he had thought it was his mother who had entered his room, not a brunette who could manipulate gravity at will. That was probably what had happened, Izuku figured. Uraraka-san had walked in and used her quirk to make his embarrassment feel 20 times heavier. Wait, could she even do that? Did her quirk only allow her to make things weightless or could she also increase the gravitational force on them?

"Man you really are passionate about becoming a hero." Uraraka laughed lightly, making Izuku's face explode from heat. He was pretty sure steam was coming out of his ears by now.

"I-have-wanted-to-become-a-hero-ever-since-I-was-a-child-I-just-kept-the-posters-to-remind-myself-of-my-idols-and-as-motivation-oh-god-I-am-so-embarrassed!" The speed of Izuku's words nearly broke the sound-barrier, but it seemed like Uraraka had caught everything since she was able to reply.

"Why are you embarrassed? It looks almost identical to your room at the dorm." Uraraka tilted her head sideways looking puzzled.

"Oh… right." He had forgotten that nearly everyone in his class had seen his walls plastered with posters and numerous figures scattered about. Izuku just thanked the heavens he hadn't brought his All Might bed sheets with him to his dorm room – that would have been a disaster.

"So this is your old room." Uraraka stepped deeper into the room and looked around curiously. Coco meowed from the middle of the bed where she had climbed up and was lounging.

"Y-yeah." It felt odd to have someone other than his mother inside his room. Izuku couldn't remember the last time he had brought a friend over or if he ever had. He could feel himself fidgeting.

"It's nice." Uraraka turned and smiled softly at him, making his knees weak. Her smile was so pretty and it always caught him off guard. Looking for a distraction, Izuku glanced away and spotted the article of clothing he had been searching for before she came in.

"Mom thought her clothes might be too big on you, so I figured this would probably fit better…" He trailed off as his face turned redder. Izuku had picked up the hoodie off the floor and was holding it out to her, when he noticed that Uraraka's borrowed shirt had slipped down her shoulder and left it bare. Uraraka seemed to notice that as well and quickly pulled the shirt back up, a flush coloring her cheeks.

"T-thanks!" Ochaco's voice was a little high pitched and she probably grabbed the hoodie a little too fast, suddenly very eager to wear it.

She seemed to struggle a little with getting it over her head, but after wriggling around a little she had it sorted out. The light grey hoodie was snug against her chest and the sleeves covered most of her hands, but it was soft and warm. It also smelled like Deku, much to Ochaco's delight. It was a clean and subtle scent that tickled her nose when she inhaled. She sighed quietly in content, which Izuku mistook for a defeated sigh.

"Uraraka-san… Is everything all right? Your eyes are kind of red…" The green-haired teen hesitantly reached a hand out and lightly touched the side of the brunette's face. His fingers felt cool to the touch.

"Y-yeah. I just… uh, got shampoo in my eye?" Ochaco finished lamely as Deku's hand dropped back to his side. She already knew that he wouldn't buy her white lie, but now was not the time to have _that_ conversation. She was fine now, and she promised herself that she would come clean and tell him, but they couldn't talk about it here and now. She caught another whiff of his scent from his hoodie and continued.

"I'm fine honestly, but there is something I need to… discuss with you, but not right now." Ochaco insisted and looked straight into his eyes. She could see that his worry subsided a little, but also that he wasn't entirely happy with having to wait. Coco trilled again from her spot on the bed and reminded the brunette why she was there in the first place.

"Oh that's right. Your mom said that the tea was almost ready five minutes ago." Ochaco walked over to the bed and picked up the kitty who purred contently at being carried. Izuku took that as a sign that the conversation was over and he remembered that he was still in his wet clothes.

"Okay, I'll just take a quick shower. Will you be okay on your own?" Deku frowned and looked so worried, Ochaco couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course I'll be! Your mother is so sweet and I also have Coco with me." At the mention of her name, the kitten meowed in agreement. That seemed to put Deku at ease and he promised to be back in five minutes.

Ochaco left his room and headed back towards the living room where she could hear Inko-san rummaging around. On the way, the brunette noticed another framed picture hanging on the wall of a tiny Deku, a younger looking Inko-san and a male who didn't look familiar at all.

' _It's probably Deku's father. He really takes after Inko-san.'_ She thought to herself and noticed how many points of resemblance there were between mother and son. They looked alike, save for Midoriya's curly hair and their personalities were similar as well. The only noticeable difference was Deku's self-sacrificial tendencies and his mother's constant worry for her only son. Well, he was also worrying constantly about others, so really, it was a matter of perspective.

Coco stretched her tiny limbs and nimbly jumped out of Ochaco's grasp. The brunette followed the kitten as it darted across the floor and led her into the kitchen. Coco purred when she came to a stop at Inko-san's feet. The plump woman picked up the cat and cooed at her, before she noticed Ochaco standing a few paces away.

"Please have a seat Ochaco, I'll bring the tea right away." She smiled and went back to setting the table. There was a plate of biscuits in the middle of the table and a cup was placed in front of Ochaco after she sat down.

"Thank you. Midoriya-kun told us to go ahead and start while he showered." She informed Inko-san. Coco, who had been out of sight for a few seconds, snuck up on Ochaco and jumped onto her lap. The kitten had decided that Ochaco was a great place for taking a nap and her tiny ribcage rose and fell under Ochaco's fingers. She made sure not to touch the cat with the pads of her fingers, and stroked her fur with the rest of her hand.

"How is school going? Izuku told me you also are doing an internship along with your studies." Inko-san asked after sitting down and grabbing her own steaming cup of tea. She gestured for Ochaco to start on her tea and waited with a smile for her reply.

"I am! And it's been a bit hard to balance both studying and working at Ryukyu's place, but I'm managing somehow." The young girl explained. Now that she thought about it, she had constantly been busy and couldn't remember the last time she had taken a day off.

"You have to be careful not to overwork yourself. I know you all are incredibly busy, but you need some time to recover or you'll burn yourself out soon." Inko frowned and in that moment she looked exactly like Izuku, but at the same time she reminded Ochaco of her own mother. It was scary how she verbalized what Ochaco had been thinking. Sort of.

"I haven't been that good at taking care of myself lately." Ochaco admitted and took a sip of her tea. After a few moments she continued.

"It's so easy to get caught up in everything. I mean, just a few months ago I was in middle school and now it's all about saving the world and constantly improving my skills. I want to be a hero, I really do, but sometimes it feels like I won't be ready by the time we graduate. How do you know when you are ready to be a real hero and save people's lives? When will I be sure that I am qualified to be a hero?" She hadn't noticed how much she had said and by the time she realized she couldn't backpedal. Why did she have to say that? She hadn't intended to sound so doubting of herself. Ochaco desperately tried to think of what to say to diffuse the situation, but Inko-san beat her to it.

"I think the only qualification you need is the will to help other people. The rest comes with time, confidence and experience." Inko-san smiled that warm motherly smile that made Ochaco want to run over and throw herself on her lap, sobbing. She didn't, of course, but she felt like she wanted to cry.

Deku's mother had made it sound so simple and maybe it really was. Ochaco started to feel light-headed. She had spent _weeks_ thinking that she was lacking resolve and power, but what she really was lacking was experience and she couldn't just achieve that overnight. It would take her years to become experienced in the field; of course she wasn't going to be ready in a few months. It was going to take more time, more practice and more determination. It really was that simple and she felt so stupid for even opening her mouth. Inko-san must have noticed her embarrassment, because the next time she spoke, she was looking over at some of the pictures hanging on the wall.

"I'm sure you've noticed how badly Izuku wants to be a hero. I can't remember him ever wanting to do anything else with his life. When he was four or five years old, he used to gather all the pillows and cushions he could find around the house and pretend they were people. He would place them on the table and act like a hero, saving passengers from a sinking ship or getting them out of a burning building.

"Not once did he tire of being the hero, no matter how hard achieving his dream was. He struggled for so many years, but my baby never gave up. He worked harder than anyone else and pushed himself to the point of breaking many times. Just look at him now, he attends UA, one of the most prestigious schools in all of Japan, and not once has he looked back. I know he'll become a wonderful hero. wonderful hero. Ou both will." Inko-san was beaming with pride and Ochaco couldn't help but share a smile with her. Her unwavering confidence in her son was amazing and it wasn't hard to understand why the older woman felt that way.

Deku had always rushed in to save anyone who needed help. It didn't matter if he knew them or not, he would always push past his limits in order to save them. His strength and his confidence made it easy to believe in him and his compassion was so incredible that it made others feel like they weren't doing enough. Ochaco remembered having a conversation with Momo along those lines and renewed her resolve to work harder and do more good.

Coco, who had been snoozing peacefully, yawned and stretched her limbs. Her tiny tail was flicking around in the air and the cat's ears perked up. She meowed a few times and cuddled closer to Ochaco, who hugged the cat to her chest and ran her fingers down its spine. Coco purred in response and nestled herself into the crook of Ochaco's arm.

"She is getting attached to you." Inko-san remarked, a little surprised by how easily the young girl had befriended the cat. Coco wasn't by any means shy, but she was usually a little apprehensive when meeting new people. The only other person she had warmed up to instantly was Izuku, and that was likely because of how much he resembled Inko.

"I had a cat when I was younger. She passed away a few years ago and I never got another." Ochaco explained. Even though it had been years, she still missed her orange tabby. Pets held a special place in their owners' hearts that could never be filled. Coco was actually doing a pretty good job of making a space for herself in Ochaco's heart. As if she had heard the brunette's thoughts, she purred again and nuzzled her head against her arm.

"Sorry, it took longer than expected." Deku's voice sounded from behind Ochaco and startled her slightly. She hadn't heard him enter, but she had also been engrossed in conversation. Had he overheard what they had been talking about? Ochaco looked up to see if he showed any signs of having eavesdropped, but he wasn't fidgeting or avoiding her gaze, so she assumed he hadn't heard anything.

"Did you dry your hair properly, honey?" Inko asked and poured him a cup of tea, which he gratefully accepted and started sipping immediately. He sighed as the warmth spread inside him and slumped down on the seat next to Ochaco.

"Yes, mom. What's for dinner?" Izuku asked as he placed both hands around the cup to warm his fingers. He should probably go grab a sweater since he still felt a little cold. He glanced to the side and saw Uraraka sipping her tea and in his hoodie and thought she looked good even in that. She looked very comfortable as did the cat curled up on her lap.

"I was thinking of fried rice, is that okay with you Ochaco?" Inko addressed the younger girl, who had a contemplative look on her face. She perked up a little at the mention of food and Inko chuckled at how readily she agreed.

"Do you need any help? Midoriya-kun and I have been practicing with our friends." Ochaco smiled brightly, suddenly feeling very cheerful. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders with just a simple sentence and wanted to do something.

"We can help you mom." Izuku also piped in, smiling as brightly as his friend.

"I couldn't ask a guest to help with the food." Deku's mother looked horrified at the idea, but changed her mind when she saw both teenagers deflating. She was a sucker for puppy eyes and eager teenagers.

"You know what? I can teach you how to make the best garlic fried rice ever. Then you can cook it for your other friends." She suggested and both teenagers cheered.

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 **Class 1A will be taking cooking lessons from mrs. Midoriya soon... Or maybe something tragic will happen... Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out... Have a nice weekend (=w=)/**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Shout out to darkfire1220, kititolovesme, Hephaestusbuilds, Aqua Rules and QueenGreen23 for motivating me to write even faster! You guys rock :D**

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"I'm so nervous about the math quiz next week!" Uraraka exclaimed as they helped Izuku's mom prepare for dinner. The teenagers were prepping vegetables while Inko readied the rest.

"We can go over some of the topics again if you like." Izuku offered. He and Todoroki had planned to solve some problems over the weekend to practice, and he was sure the hybrid quirk user wouldn't mind Uraraka joining them.

"Really?" Uraraka looked at him with stars in her eyes and the knife nearly slipped out of his grasp. She was standing so close to him that her hair tickled him whenever she moved her head.

"S-sure." Izuku laughed and returned to chopping up the carrots he had in front of him. He could faintly feel his mother's gaze on his back, but he pretended not to notice. Uraraka didn't seem to notice that his mom was observing them quietly and he hoped it would stay that way. He didn't want her to be embarrassed by his mom, when he knew that she meant well. They discussed some of the topics Uraraka wanted to revise for a few minutes, before the aspiring hero noticed that his mom had gone quiet and had her back to him.

"What's wrong mom?" Izuku asked as he watched his mother hastily rummaging around the shelves of the refrigerator. He stopped chopping carrots and placed the knife on the cutting board before walking over to his mom, who was looking confused.

"I'm sure I had taken shrimp out to thaw, but I can't find it anywhere." Inko remembered pulling the bag out of the freezer and placing it inside the fridge very clearly. She just couldn't see it anywhere.

"We can just leave out the shrimp." Uraraka suggested, coming to stand next to Izuku. She didn't mind that there was no shrimp, the brunette loved fried rice in any way, shape or form.

"I guess so…" Inko frowned. She really couldn't understand what had happened to the shrimp, but she'd make do without it. That was until Izuku spoke and surprised her.

"I'll go to the store and get some more, mom!" He volunteered and was already halfway out of the kitchen before she could even react. Inko smiled at her son's retreating back. He had always been like that.

"He's always like that, isn't he?" Ochaco was looking in the direction as Inko when she voiced Inko's thoughts. The brunette's expression had softened to something fond and… caring? Inko didn't dare call it anything else lest it be wrong, but she had an inkling that something was going on between her son and the young girl. She was a woman and a mother to boot, so her intuition was usually spot on.

"Did Izuku ever mention how I got Coco?" Inko turned to the brunette with a smile of her own. She wasn't sure Izuku had told anyone how they came to look after Coco – he was too humble to do that.

"No, he just told me that you had always wanted to own a cat." Ochaco thought back to the first time she had seen the picture of Coco, but she could only recall Deku saying as much.

"Izuku has always had this penchant for finding and saving lost pets. Coco's mother was one of the neighborhood strays that Izuku knew and sometimes even fed. There was a storm a few months ago and he found her trapped under some iron pipes near a construction site on his way home. Of course Izuku heard her cries and came to her rescue. He took her to a shelter and made sure she got medical attention and then he found out she was carrying a litter. He helped take care of her and even printed out flyers to help with adoption for the kittens after they were born. The only kitty that wasn't adopted was Coco and Izuku was so sad about her not finding a new home that he convinced me to adopt her." Inko's heart swelled with pride as she retold the story. He might still be her baby, but to that family of cats he was a true hero.

"What about Coco's mother?" Ochaco asked and tried to spot the furry little creature that seemed to have gone into hiding. Inko-san looked out the window with a thoughtful smile on her face.

"She still roams the neighborhood. She wasn't much for being domesticated, but her kittens all have a nice home now. Isn't that right, Coco?" Inko cooed and bent down to pet the cat that had appeared out of nowhere. The kitty meowed loudly in response and rubbed her head against Inko's hand.

"That is very much like him. Everyone in our class agrees that he is a natural-born hero." Ochaco shared with his mother and noticed how the older woman's eyes dimmed a little. She swiped at her eyes quickly and turned back to Ochaco with what seemed to be a burning question at the tip of her tongue. She seemed to be struggling with herself for a few moments, but finally her shoulders sagged and she asked.

"Is Izuku having trouble adjusting at the dorm? Or is there anyone in your class that he doesn't get along with?" Inko started to wring her hands together in worry. She had wanted to question the brunette all day, but with Izuku there, she couldn't get herself to bring up his social life. She didn't want to hurt her son, she just had to ask to lessen her worries.

"No? Well, there is Bakugo, but no one really gets along with him. Why do you ask?" Ochaco was surprised that Deku's mother was asking her this. She had gotten the impression that Deku was very close with his mother and had expected him to share such details with her.

"It's just… Izuku has been looking so lively lately whenever he talks about you and Iida-kun and because he seems so genuinely happy, I just want to make sure that he isn't pretending for my sake again… It was very hard for me to agree to let him live at the dorm. I just can't stand the thought of him pretending to be fine and be all alone." Inko was starting to sniffle. She hadn't meant to spring the question on Ochaco like that, but when she brought up how their class viewed him, she couldn't help it. She so desperately needed to know that someone was looking after her baby, when she wasn't around.

"Is everything all right Inko-san?" Ochaco tentatively stepped closer and placed a comforting hand on the now weeping woman's arm.

"I'm sorry, I just haven't seen my baby so happy in a long time and I don't want his happiness to be a pretense!" The green-haired woman had produced a tissue out of thin air and was dabbing at her eyes.

"Why do you say that? Midoriya-kun is well-liked by everyone in our class and I'm sure everyone will tell you that he is their friend." Except for Bakugo, Ochaco thought to herself but didn't say out loud. Deku's mother took some steadying breaths before she looked into Ochaco's eyes with so much sorrow that it made the brunette want to cry along with her.

"I can't ask Izuku these things anymore… He'll just say that he is fine and happy to make me stop worrying, but I don't think he really trusts me." Inko's eyes welled with tears again. She had been carrying around guilt and a very small hope ever since he started attending UA. The guilt stemmed from not knowing about the incidents that had occurred at school more often than was normal and hope that his horrible school experience wasn't holding him back.

She had never been able to stop him from being bullied, which he had only recently opened up to her about, but she had known her son was shy and wasn't good at making friends. In the beginning she hadn't realized that he was shunned for being quirkless, but when she became aware of it, she had attended many meetings with Izuku's teachers to make his situation easier. It wasn't like he was completely isolated socially, but a lot of people thought of him as being lesser for not possessing any extraordinary power. The stigma around being quirkless was not something that would disappear easily, but Inko wanted the world to acknowledge her son for being amazing _despite_ not wielding a quirk. She had tried to forget the one instance where she failed him so many years ago, but to this day it still haunted her. No matter how much she tried to be involved in Izuku's life, she felt like that one time had made Izuku stop trusting her and it broke her heart.

"-o-san. Inko-san?" Ochaco had been calling her name a few times when she was snapped out of her reverie. Inko had no idea how long she had been lost in thought, but the young girl in front of her looked borderline nervous.

"What do you mean he doesn't trust you? Did something happen to Midoriya-kun?" The brunette had a bad feeling about the direction their conversation was taking.

"Izuku's quirk developed very late, it was some sort of mutation… When he was four years old and still hadn't manifested a quirk, I took him to a doctor who believed him to be quirkless. You know how Izuku always wanted to be a hero? I didn't believe he could become a hero without a quirk and I think it hurt him more than he ever let on. I think it created a rift between us, but he never stopped believing in himself and I'm so proud of him for it." Ochaco's eyes widened in disbelief when she heard Inko's confession. She had known that something hadn't been right about Deku's overpowered quirk that kept getting him hurt, but she hadn't realized it was because he still wasn't familiar with it. Everyone, including herself, wrote it off as his quirk simply being too strong to control.

How horrible must it have been to be a child and constantly be told he wasn't cut out for his dream? She knew how quirkless persons were treated as extreme anomalies and she prayed that Izuku hadn't been victim to any of the horrible things she had heard people did to the quirkless. Many of them were exaggerated, she knew, but she didn't want to believe that her kind-hearted friend had ever been hurt. Her gut feeling, however, told her that he hadn't been so lucky.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Inko-san apologized and put a hand on the brunette's shoulder. Ochaco shook her head and bit down on her lower lip, debating whether or not she should ask something that had been on her mind for some days now.

"May I ask something?" She hesitated for another second, unsure if she should bring it up or leave it be, but when Inko nodded, she continued.

"Midoriya-kun didn't have many friends, did he?" At Inko-san's crestfallen expression Ochaco's theory was confirmed. His loneliness hadn't only been a result of Midoriya being socially awkward, but it had also been due to other people being apprehensive. She still couldn't believe that anyone would judge his character based on a missing quirk, when he was much more than that. Midoriya Izuku was one of the purest human beings Ochaco had ever met. He was so inherently kind that she had trouble believing how harsh his childhood had been. She was extremely grateful that he hadn't become bitter and still yearned to become a hero.

"On the day of UA's entrance exam, he saved me from one of the giant robots you saw in the sports festival. Some rubble had fallen over me and everyone was running away, everyone except for Midoriya-kun who jumped in to save me. After that we became friends. It was so easy." Ochaco smiled as she thought back to her first meeting with the nervous wreck that had been her Deku. While she spoke, she noticed how Inko-san's shoulders finally relaxed.

"That being said, I don't think you have any reason to think he doesn't trust you. The way he talks about you, it is so easy to see that you are the most important person to him. From my perspective, he glosses over details and only keeps things to himself, because he knows how much you worry about his safety." She explained as kindly as she could. Constant worry was a strong hereditary trait in the Midoriyas, but Deku always spoke so highly of Inko-san that she didn't believe for one second that he didn't trust her. Ochaco forgot to continue speaking, but it turned out it wasn't necessary. When the brunette looked up, Deku's mother was smiling again.

"I'm glad he met you and Iida-kun. Speaking of which, next time you come over you should bring him as well. I'd love to meet him." The stress lines on Inko's face had lessened and she looked relieved as well as overjoyed.

Only when the front door opened and Izuku announced his return, Inko and Ochaco remembered that they had been making dinner. Their conversation had made them forget the time, but they were both glad they had been able to talk so freely with each other. The curly-haired teenager stepped into the kitchen with a bag in his hand and walked straight to the counter to take out his purchases. Inko mentally noted to do something nice for Ochaco as a thank you and promptly set about teaching the two young people how to make the fried rice.

"Sorry it took so long, there were so many people out buying groceries." Izuku explained as he finished putting things away. He turned and stopped moving when he saw his mother and Uraraka exchange glances. He looked from one to the other without figuring out what had transpired between the two females while he had been out.

"That's okay, honey. Ochaco and I finally had some girl time together." Inko winked in Ochaco's direction and the brunette giggled at Deku's confused expression. He had only been gone for some twenty minutes, but he had missed so much. Coco meowed in protest over being left out of girl time. She had, after all, been present the whole time.

It was late in the evening when Izuku and Uraraka finally got up to head back to the dorm after a delicious meal. The commute would take them nearly an hour and although they didn't have school the following day, they still had to go to bed at a reasonable time.

"It was wonderful meeting you, Ochaco. I hope you'll come by again." Inko smiled at the girl, now dressed in her uniform again. She had thoroughly enjoyed the brunette's company and genuinely wanted her to visit again.

"Thank you so much for having me." Ochaco bowed slightly and also thanked Inko-san for letting her borrow the clothes. She would never admit it, but she had been a little reluctant to return Deku's hoodie to him. It had been warm and she had liked the way she could catch a whiff of his scent occasionally. The brunette realized she sounded like a pervert and stopped thinking about his hoodie.

"Bye mom." Izuku hugged his mother briefly and petted Coco's head before leading the way out. Ochaco turned and waved to the kitty and her owner before she followed her classmate out.

The walk to the train station was spent in companionable silence for the first few minutes. Then Ochaco asked a question about where Izuku had met Coco's mother and he flushed when he figured out that his mother had told her the story. He just hoped Uraraka hadn't heard any embarrassing stories from his childhood. He had no idea.

They talked the rest of the way to the station. About dinner, Izuku's mom, Ochaco's parents, school and their friends. There was never really an awkward moment between them, Ochaco realized. She had always found Midoriya so easy to approach and to strike up a conversation with, she had never paid attention to his social skills around others.

Now that she thought about it, he had managed to befriend the aloof Todoroki, who interacted minimally with others. Their friendship was something that had just fallen into place after the sports festival and internship. She was happy that Deku was making friends on his own and that no one befriended him out of pity. The girls in their class often had lengthy discussions about their male classmates and more than once, they had mentioned how Todoroki had opened up to their class after becoming friends with Iida and Midoriya. Ochaco suspected that Todoroki had seen his own loneliness reflected in Deku, although the freckled teenager was good at hiding his past. She had also decided not to pry and wait for him to open up about his childhood.

"I think my mom liked having another female to keep her company." Midoriya spoke as they waited for their train. In the light of a nearby lamp, his dark circles looked more prominent than ever and Ochaco hoped they didn't take too long to get home. She was also beginning to feel the first signs of fatigue. It felt like the day had gone on for almost three weeks.

"She was so nice. Coco was sweet too. Thank you for bringing me along today." Ochaco moved to stand beside him when she heard the train approach and she was suddenly very aware of their arms being pressed together.

"You're welcome." She heard him reply as the sound of the train coming to a stop increased. Deku grabbed hold of her hand as the doors to the compartment opened in front of them.

They waited for the passengers to depart from the train before the two students boarded. It didn't take them long to find two empty seats to occupy for the duration of the train ride and both slumped down. Izuku let go of her hand once they were sitting, but Ochaco had noticed the faint flush on his face. He was getting better at casual touches and initiated them more often, but his embarrassment was as cute as ever.

The train started moving forward and Izuku found himself being pressed closer to Uraraka as the speed increased. The brunette didn't seem to mind or she didn't notice, but to him it was hard to focus on anything else. He needed a distraction, he decided. Izuku started looking out of the window opposite of him and watched the buildings pass by underneath the tracks. It didn't take long for his eyelids to start drooping and his resolve to keep looking out of the window weakened as his desire to sleep increased.

Izuku fought for a few minutes but lost the battle and finally closed his eyes. He could feel body growing heavy, but faintly registered Uraraka taking hold of his hand and rubbing circles on the back of his hand before he dozed off.

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 **This last scene is based off fanart on tumblr. If you search for izuocha and scroll down for a while, you'll know exactly which one I'm referring to. As always, have a nice weekend! (=w=)/**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I felt like I didn't get much feedback on the previous chapter and I hope it wasn't because it was boring. That's why I wrote an extra update for this week! Or maybe because I am obsessed with writing angst and fluff... Today is also Kirishima's birthday and he deserved and extra update! Happy birthday, my son. Enjoy!**

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The rest of the train ride had gone by slowly. Ochaco had spent the time thinking about her meeting with Deku's mother and the things she had found out about him. She was still having a hard time grasping it all. If Midoriya's quirk only developed the previous year, he hadn't had much time to train it before applying for the hero course and he had still ranked seventh in the entrance exam. She admired him more and more for every day that passed, but she also couldn't help the anguish she felt on his behalf.

He hadn't outright told her, but judging from his nature and the way he reacted to Bakugo's presence, Ochaco was almost certain that he had been bullied. She had thought about it before, but now that she knew he hadn't always had a quirk, the probability was even higher. It would also explain his skittish nature and his lack of confidence. Kids could be horrible and she could only imagine the hardships he must have suffered for being born different. Sneaking a glance at her snoozing friend, Ochaco was relieved he had held on to his dream of becoming a hero.

He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, it was hard to believe that this was the same person who had nightmares and worked harder than anyone to fight the evil of the world. Ochaco's eyes lingered on his face while they sat. From here she could count his freckles and trace the outline of his jaw with her eyes. She had to admit that he was good-looking and possessed tons of boyish charm that made her knees weak. His fingers moved and made her look down at his hand that she was still holding and her eyes found their way to the scars on his right hand and forearm. The brunette didn't want to think about how he had gained all his scars, so she checked the time and began waking him up instead.

"Deku-kun?" She whispered and tapped his shoulder a few times. His eyelids fluttered open and locked onto hers and for a moment Ochaco forgot what she was doing, but then he blinked and ended her trance.

"Hm?" Deku brought a hand up and rubbed his face tiredly.

"We have to get off soon, so I thought I would wake you." Ochaco explained and watched as he rolled his shoulders a few times.

"Thanks." He muttered and closed his eyes again, breathing deeply. Ochaco was afraid he was falling asleep again, but then Midoriya took a deep breath and stretched as best as he could in the small space they were occupying.

"Strange, I don't even remember falling asleep." He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. Looking up at the brunette beside him, Izuku noticed that their hands were still in contact. His fingers were half-curled around Uraraka's smaller ones, but she made no move to remove them so Izuku left his hand where it was, trying his best not to short-circuit.

"You only slept for 20 minutes." Uraraka replied and caught his attention. She sounded distracted; Izuku thought and looked at her curiously. She was looking down at her lap with the same troubled expression she had been wearing for the past few hours.

"Is something wrong?" Izuku wanted to know. He hoped he hadn't offended her or said anything rude, but he wasn't sure what it could have been. Maybe she was feeling troubled because he dragged her to his house and had her meet his mom on such short notice or maybe he hadn't been a very good host?

"I don't know…" Uraraka replied and looked up at him. She looked as though something was on her mind and he was just about to ask if it had been something he had said, when their stop was announced over the speakers.

Frowning, Izuku got up and walked over to the automatic doors with Uraraka trailing behind him. The train slowly came to a stop and the doors opened, letting the two students out onto the platform where other passengers boarded. It would take them around 15 minutes to walk back to their dorm, but the sun hadn't set yet, so Izuku thought it would be easier to talk somewhere away from the dorm. He couldn't stand seeing her bothered by anything.

"There's a park nearby where we can talk." He suggested quietly. Uraraka seemed to consider it for a moment and then nodded, so he started leading the way. They were quiet while they walked, but for once it wasn't a comfortable silence that engulfed them. Ironically, the silence felt deafening to Izuku, but he didn't feel much for making small talk. Instead, he resigned himself to walking in silence while trying to figure out what was on Uraraka's mind. Once they found a bench to sit on, he waited for her to start talking, but she seemed to be content to just sit in silence. He was just about to ask her what was on her mind when she spoke.

"Deku-kun… were you bullied in school?" Her question made Izuku freeze up. He had tried his best to hide the truth about his school years before UA and had been somewhat confident that he had succeeded, so why was she asking him this now?

"Your mom told me your quirk developed late." Uraraka quietly said and watched him try to formulate a sentence. She had completely taken him by surprise and he couldn't seem to find his voice. He was too embarrassed to confirm it and couldn't deny it either.

"I… uh…" Izuku struggled to answer. What was he supposed to tell her? Yeah, I was bullied by other kids that thought I was worthless because I didn't have a quirk. Once I was told to jump off the school roof and I still dream about it, but enough about me, how are you doing? His face must have revealed what he was thinking, because Uraraka seemed to have caught on without words being needed.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." She whispered and Izuku noticed that her voice shook slightly. What was more surprising though was that her eyes shone with unshed tears that were threatening to spill onto her cheeks.

"Uraraka-san?" Izuku felt a surge of alarm, but tried to push it down. It wouldn't do if he started panicking and upset the brunette further. She sniffled and swiped furiously at her eyes.

"I know how people without quirks are treated and I'd hate it if you had experienced any of it. You don't deserve it!" Her voice was raw with emotion and Izuku had to bite down hard on his lip to stop it from quivering. His chest constricted and he had to fight to control his voice.

"What do you mean?" Izuku whispered hoarsely.

"There was a man in my neighborhood who would say hi to everyone and give the kids treats and help everyone out no matter the task. But he was quirkless and at first I didn't know what it meant, but as I grew up I realized that people looked down on him for no reason! And I would get so frustrated because he was so nice, but I could see it in the way people looked at him that they didn't want to have much to do with him and I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for you if you grew up like that too!" Uraraka was openly sobbing now and tears were also falling from Izuku's eyes. Luckily, they were sitting in a secluded part of the park and no one was around.

"It's true… I was bullied." Izuku managed to croak out despite the lump in his throat. It was painful to say out loud, but seeing how much Uraraka was hurting on behalf of him, he wanted her to know that he was okay now.

"D-did you ever tell anyone?" She hiccupped and tried her best to calm down before carrying on with their conversation.

"I couldn't tell my mom… if I told her, it would break her heart." Izuku, too, tried to calm down and prevent an outburst. No one had ever asked him so directly and although he was chocked, he suddenly wanted to pour his heart out and come clean about _everything_. But he couldn't. An image of All Might flashed through his mind and he bit back the words that were at the tip of his tongue.

"That's so horrible." Uraraka's hands flew to her mouth. He couldn't stand seeing Uraraka so upset over something that had happened to him so many years ago.

"Don't worry, Uraraka-san. I am okay now. I-I have so many amazing friends now and it feels like it would be a waste if I spent my time being sad and depressed, when I could be with you guys instead and make new memories. My dream came true and I will be a hero, and I think that's much more important to think about." He reached over to put a hand on her arm, but Uraraka launched herself at him and hugged him so tightly that he almost couldn't breathe. When she finally let go of him, she had calmed down considerably.

"Was Bakugo your bully?" Uraraka looked very uncomfortable at the prospect and Izuku knew that she wasn't on the best of terms with the blond. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't lie to Uraraka who wore her heart on the sleeve. Izuku couldn't bring himself to admit it either, so he settled for a more cryptic response.

"It wasn't that bad. Kacchan wasn't the only one." Crap, it sounded worse that he had thought it would. Uraraka's eyes widened and Izuku hastily tried to explain himself.

"I-I mean, kids say a lot of stuff without really meaning it. I think they all realized as we got older…" He defended weakly. It was true that kids often said hurtful things in the spur of the moment, but that didn't mean they meant it or couldn't change their opinion as they got older.

Kacchan hadn't been that bad. He didn't understand things the same way others did, so it had lead to many misunderstandings between them as the years progressed. Izuku had always admired the blond boy and wanted to become like him, while Kacchan had thought of his admiration as mockery.

"He's still a jerk and a bully." Uraraka said with finality in her voice. Izuku couldn't argue with her on that. Bakugo's personality and his foul mouth hardly left room for discussion.

"He's not so bad…" Izuku tried to defend him anyways, but the look on Uraraka's face told him she wasn't convinced. His aspiration to become the no. 1 hero and his immense talent obviously didn't paint the whole picture, but to Izuku, who had witnessed Kacchan's hardships, it was enough to tell him that the angry boy had grown up quite a bit.

"He harasses you for no reason." Uraraka pointed out, which made Izuku scratch his head in thought.

"I agree that he isn't exactly the friendliest guy at UA, but that's not the real Kacchan. It's hard to believe but Kacchan is very smart and sensitive. He has learned that his actions and attitude has consequences…" Izuku trailed off.

He thought back to a conversation he had had with All Might a while ago. All Might had mentioned Kacchan's growth following all the failures he had experienced and pointed out his incredible potential that was hindered by himself. Izuku knew a thing or two about failure, but people tended to forget that Kacchan was human and had goals that sometimes fell to the ground. His hollow victory at the sports festival, his failed provisional exam, his bad attitude that made him a target for villains and led to his kidnapping, just to name a few. Kacchan had been struggling for so long and people overlooked how much effort the blond put in trying to achieve his goals.

"Deku-kun? Are you okay?" Uraraka put a hand on his arm and snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ah yes! Sorry."

"I'm sorry I brought up the bullying." Uraraka apologized. Her tears were dry now, but her eyes were a little red. Izuku was afraid that his expression had made her think he was reminded of his middle school days.

"It's okay. I've just never really spoken to anyone about it, so I don't know what to say." Truth be told, Izuku had been all too happy to put it all behind him and move forward. He should have expected to be asked about it at one point or another, but he was glad it was Uraraka who had been the one to bring it up. Izuku blamed his lack of sleep and emotional turmoil for being taken by surprise and getting overwhelmed by Uraraka's compassion. Hopefully he would be better prepared the next time around.

"Is that also why you haven't told anyone that your quirk developed late?" The brunette regarded him carefully. She had wanted him to tell her more, but it was a heavy conversation to have and Deku seemed to genuinely be fine. She had to believe him when he said that he had put it behind him.

"Yeah, I guess so… It's a little embarrassing to have so poor control over your quirk when you are in high school." Izuku admitted and felt his cheeks flush for the umpteenth time that day. He obviously couldn't tell her about One for All, but this was as close to the truth as it got.

"I disagree. If it only developed recently, it is amazing that you've made it so far without being able to control it fully." Uraraka, always looking at the bright side, smiled.

"Besides, you work harder than anyone else to get to where you want, so I think you should cut yourself some slack." She added as an afterthought and laughed when he blushed.

"Thank you. For always supporting me." Izuku smiled shyly. He looked at Uraraka through his bangs and noticed her getting flustered.

"Y-y-you're welcome!" Uraraka squeaked and covered her face in embarrassment, which puzzled Izuku. He was only telling the truth, which was that Uraraka had supported him since day one.

He remembered how she had gone to Present Mic to share her points with him after the entrance exam and how she had become his first friend at UA. She had teamed up with him at the sports festival when everyone else avoided him and she had rooted for him all the way. There was also the instance at the training camp where Izuku had been chasing after Kacchan and Uraraka had torn her shirt in half to wrap up his wounded arms to lessen his pain. She hadn't refused him and told him to stop, quite on the contrary, she had known that he would continue and only tried to make him a little less uncomfortable. Izuku knew that he could always go to her when he needed help.

"Ohmygod!" Uraraka's voice was high-pitched and Izuku realized he had said some of that put loud. He felt embarrassed all the way to his hair and hoped she hadn't heard everything. Izuku stared very intently at the ground, wanting a hole to open up and swallow him. As a feeble attempt to do some damage control, Izuku tried to explain himself, but found himself sitting alone on the bench when he turned to the brunette beside him.

"Uraraka-san?" He called after her and heard her unintelligibly sounds… from above him? Looking up, Izuku saw Uraraka floating and rotating slowly. Her face was hidden under her hands and Izuku could barely understand what she was muttering. Not wanting her to get nauseous, Izuku activated Full Cowl and jumped up to grab Uraraka before she could float too far away.

The brunette had curled in on herself so Izuku had to catch her under her legs and behind her back before he could safely bring her down. She squealed when Izuku pulled her close to his chest and landed effortlessly back on the ground. The last time he had caught her like this, it had been an imposter imitating her and Izuku actually felt silly for being relieved that she didn't transform into someone else again.

"Thank you…" Uraraka whispered and peeked at him through the gaps in her hands. Her face was beet-red and Izuku felt bad for embarrassing her like that.

"No problem. We should head back to the dorm before it gets late." Izuku had noticed the streetlamps flickering on a little while ago and thought it would be better to get back before a rescue team was sent to retrieve them. Iida would probably scold them for being out so late if they didn't hurry back.

"Y-you can put me down now." Uraraka said and reminded Izuku that he was still carrying her bridal-style. Apologizing profusely, he carefully lowered her to the ground and let go of her. On the way back they talked about what they would be revising the next day and tried to pretend they weren't both blushing.

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 **Okay, so a little bit angsty, but I think it's important to highlight how Izuku isn't holding himself back because he was bullied as a child. Also, I used to absolutely despise Bakugo, but have since realized that he is a child who is still forming an identity and that he has had his fair share of trouble. So that was my two cents on his development, but we could probably spend days discussing him. Next update will be more chill and fluffy. Until then (=w=)/**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I love you guys so much. Thank you for all you support! Thanks to Comment Person, Vasqu, Hiroshi Paradox, NuzNali, HephaestusBuilds, luisAM21, Domoko, Nameless Dude 13 and Kititoloves me for putting my mind at ease. Also, I changed the rating to T as a result of feedback, so thanks again guys. Enjoy!**

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It was Saturday afternoon and the students of class 1A were either studying or enjoying their day off. Izuku had met up with Iida, Todoroki and Uraraka earlier that morning to study ahead for the following week and help each other prepare for the upcoming quizzes. Currently Izuku was staring at his pencil case, completely lost in thought.

"-oriya-kun! Midoriya-kun! You mustn't zone out!" Iida shook the green-haired boy out of his stupor. The class president put on a stern expression, but it softened when he noticed his friend's puffy eyes and dark circles that contrasted with his pale skin.

"Ah sorry. What were you saying?" Izuku tried to shake himself awake, but ended up yawning instead. He had tried his best to stay focused while they studied, but for the past half hour, he had been on the verge of falling asleep.

"Are you getting enough sleep Midoriya?" Todoroki asked and regarded him for a few seconds. The ice-user had noticed signs of exhaustion on his friend's face for a few days now and figured Midoriya stayed up late to study or just had trouble sleeping in general.

"I kept waking up last night. It usually doesn't happen that often." Izuku explained and suppressed another yawn. Iida put a hand on his shoulder and locked eyes with him, an unspoken question hanging in the air between them. _Nightmares?_ Izuku looked away and instead caught Uraraka's gaze and saw her guilty expression, but also how her brow furrowed in concern.

"Deku-kun you should have said you were too tired to study!" She scolded him mildly. Ochaco felt bad that he had taken time to help her study when he was that tired. She couldn't help but feel responsible for his fatigue. He had, after all, spent so much time with her the previous day that he could have used to relax. He could even have slept in this morning if it hadn't been for their study session.

"I'm okay…" The freckled boy defended weakly. He averted his gaze from all of his friends' and twirled the pen in his hand around, hoping they would believe him.

Iida looked over at Uraraka, whose expression spoke volumes about her concern for their tired friend, and then at Todoroki, who also looked just as uneasy as Tenya felt. He hadn't been able to bring up Midoriya's mental health since the boy's panic attack the previous week, but Iida knew that Todoroki also had picked up on Midoriya's odd behavior. The class president didn't know how many people his friend had confided in, but he guessed that aside form himself and Uraraka, not many knew what was troubling the hero fanboy.

"Maybe we should call it a day?" Todoroki suggested after looking at his hunched over friend. He wasn't sure exactly what Midoriya was dealing with, but from the way Uraraka and Iida were fretting over him, they at least seemed to know what was going on with him.

Shoto had suspected that Midoriya suffered from anxiety for a while now and had tried asking about it once. He had been shut down pretty quickly with Midoriya telling him that he was skittish by nature, but the dual quirk holder wasn't convinced any longer.

"I agree. We covered a lot of ground anyway, so it would be wise to take the rest of the day off. A good hero should always know how to balance work and rest." Iida announced, his hand still hovering over Midoriya's shoulder. Shoto nodded in agreement and Uraraka silently started putting her books away.

"I can go on guys, it's fine." Izuku insisted, but his study group had already started packing up.

"You should take a nap, Midoriya. You look horrible." Shoto stated bluntly. It was obvious that Midoriya was pushing himself. The bags under his eyes and his pale complexion made it obvious that he needed to sleep. The pale boy looked irked at the prospect, but sighed in defeat when he saw the expressions on their faces.

"Todoroki-kun is right, you should take it easy. We can study again tomorrow." Uraraka offered. She was fiddling with the hem of her shirt while she spoke. A nervous trait she had picked up lately.

"Are you sure?" Midoriya asked in a half-hearted attempt to stay. Todoroki had already gotten out of his seat and was ready to head back to his room.

"Yeah. I can also visit my mother if we call it a day." He answered and watched as the fight left Midoriya and was replaced with understanding.

"How is she doing?" He asked kindly. It still felt strange to Shoto when he was asked about his personal life, but Midoriya and Iida were exceptions. He didn't mind them asking about his mother since they both shared the same kind of information with him. They had also reached the stage in their friendship where Shoto was willing to answer personal questions without a second thought.

"She's livelier now. She told me to say hello to you both." The dual quirk wielder remembered. He had spoken about Midoriya and Iida on occasion and his mother seemed to be curious about his two friends.

"Give her our regards!" Iida boomed, back to his normal and loud self. His worry for Midoriya had lessened slightly, but he still kept glancing at the green-haired boy every few minutes and with good reason too. Midoriya looked sick.

"Come on, Deku-kun. You need to sleep." Uraraka appeared beside Midoriya and tugged at his sleeve. With a sigh, the freckled boy got up and started trekking his way back to the common room, Uraraka and Iida following closely behind him. Shoto decided to wait before making Midoriya spill the beans about his problems.

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Izuku was ushered inside his room by his two closest friends and fell face first onto his bed when he heard their footsteps fade. He had barely slept that night and despite having skipped breakfast, felt nauseous. Izuku had tried his best to act normal around his friends, but he had felt the room spinning more often than not. It wasn't that he was ill, he just felt unsettled and weak from sleep-deprivation. His appetite, however, was non-existent.

Izuku had tried his best to fall asleep last night, but after his talk with Uraraka in the park, his mind of course had to think of scenarios where she degraded him or mocked him. He had tried to reassure himself of how well she had taken to hearing about his past, but in his dreams she had laughed coldly and called him worthless. Izuku was well aware that Uraraka didn't see him as a loser, but his brain had replayed the scene in the park so many times with different outcomes that he actually started doubting if it had really happened. He remembered their conversation clearly and he couldn't forget how she had floated away in embarrassment so he had to fetch her back down. Izuku hated his mind for making him doubt himself and his friend. He had been so relieved when they had walked back to the dorm, he actually felt angry that his mind couldn't accept how well it had all played out. Even when they had been studying, there had been no moment of awkwardness between them, for which he was glad.

Another wave of dizziness hit him and Izuku had to take deep breaths to keep from vomiting. Rolling onto his side, he finally noticed how much his eyes stung and tried to lie comfortably, but his room spinning made it hard. Reaching for his cell phone, he checked the time before sighing and burying his face in his pillow.

' _I can sleep for three hours and still make it to my training session with All Might.'_ Izuku stopped struggling and shut his eyes. He desperately hoped that he would be able to sleep without dreams plaguing his already exhausted mind.

The next time he woke up, his cell phone was buzzing right next to his hand. He was lucky he hadn't swiped it onto the floor in his sleep, otherwise he would have missed the text message from Uraraka and probably kept sleeping.

 _Are you hungry? Sorry if I woke you up._ Hungry? Hadn't it only been a few hours since he fell asleep? Sitting up on his bed, Izuku groaned as his back cracked and his grip on his phone loosened, making it fall and bounce on his bed. He had fallen asleep in a weird position and his left side felt sore when he moved, but his dizziness was almost gone. His nap must have been god sent, because Izuku couldn't see anything in his room clearly and had to squint to look for his phone on his bed sheet.

Finally grabbing hold of his cell, he unlocked the screen only to notice that it was past six o'clock in the evening. Izuku scrambled to his feet and ran over to his window to look outside. The sky was pitch-black and the aspiring hero could see street lamps casting their light in circles outside of campus. Not a trace of sunlight left. He hadn't noticed the darkness in his room before, he had merely thought of it as his sight still being hazy from sleep. He had overslept! Izuku was supposed to meet All Might before dinner, but had forgotten to set his alarm and had slept for more than five hours.

Swiping furiously at his screen, Izuku was just about to call his mentor when he noticed two more unread messages in his inbox. The first one was from his mom, wishing him luck with studying. The second was from All Might. Dreading the content, Izuku tapped the screen with a shaking finger.

 _Young Iida informed me (and the rest of the staff) of your poor health a little while ago. You should take your time and rest up, so we'll post pone your training until tomorrow. Rest well, Young Midoriya!_ A sense of gratitude filled Izuku and he made a mental note to thank his bespectacled friend soon. It warmed his heart that Iida had the mind to inform their instructors that he wouldn't be hitting the gym as usual and a bit of guilt made its way to the surface.

He needed to be honest with Iida and tell him more about his nightmares. The class president had been nothing but supportive and he deserved to know what was going on. He would probably tell Izuku to see the school counselor, but the green-haired teenager had already made up his mind to get help. He couldn't stand feeling so awful all the time, it was draining him and he clearly couldn't deal with it all on his own. He needed help. Walking over to his lamp, Izuku switched it on with a sigh.

Remembering that Uraraka had texted him a few minutes ago, he typed a quick reply and told her he would be down for dinner soon. Izuku needed to get ahold of himself. Changing out of the clothes he had fallen asleep in, Izuku also realized that he needed to convince Uraraka to seek help. She couldn't go on like this either and maybe it would be easier for both of them if they did it together. They had already comforted each other on numerous occasions – surely they would be able to help each other heal? But would the brunette agree to it?

Izuku had pulled off his shirt in favor of a more comfortable one when it knocked on his door. Shirt still in his hand, the teenager went to answer the door, not sure who it could be. He was pleasantly surprised to discover a brunette carrying a tray loaded with food behind the door.

"Uraraka-san?" He watched as her face turned redder by the second and wondered what was causing it.

"D-d-deku-I-brought-you-food!" The rush of words left Uraraka, who seemed distraught all of a sudden. Izuku opened the door wider and let her inside before shutting it behind her. Uraraka stood with her back to him, her shoulders trembling slightly. Was she feeling unwell?

"Uraraka-san, are you all right? You're shaking." Izuku walked over to her to put a hand on her arm and was taken aback when she yelped at his touch. Feeling a little hurt, Izuku let his hand fall back down to his side. She usually didn't mind when he touched her and she was refusing to look at him, had he done something wrong?

"I'm okay!" She squeaked and hurriedly put the tray on his coffee table, before covering her face with her hands. Oh no, was she crying? He stopped himself for walking over and putting a hand on her shoulder again.

"Then why-"

"Y-your shirt." She said and glanced over her shoulder, but quickly turned back to hiding her face in her hands. Izuku looked down at his shirt in confusion and realized the source of her embarrassment. He wasn't wearing a shirt. It was still clutched in his hand and he had let her into his room shirtless. If anyone had seen it, they would have ended Izuku's life…

"OhgodIamsosorry!" Now it was Izuku's turn to be embarrassed. How could he not have realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt? He had just casually let her inside as if he always was shirtless in her company. Struggling to put the shirt on correctly, Izuku cursed himself for his oversight. He hoped he hadn't startled Uraraka too bad and apologized once again.

"I-It's okay, I was just surprised. Sorry, I should probably have texted you that I was coming up, but you brought me dinner once and I wanted to return the favor…" The brunette trailed off and fiddled with her sleeves.

"Thank you." Izuku moved to sit down by his table and gestured for her to take a seat as well. Uraraka fidgeted when she sat down, but stayed silent otherwise. For the first time that day, Izuku felt hungry and the sight of the food in front of him made his stomach growl, so he dug in.

"Last time, when you brought me food I had been poisoned. Feels kind of funny to be on the other end." Uraraka laughed nervously. Izuku remembered all too well how bad she had been affected by the poison.

Looking over at her discreetly, he was relieved to see that she looked much healthier and didn't have a single bruise left. Izuku made an agreeing sound, but was too busy stuffing his face. He tried to slow down a little, but still ended up finishing off the meal in a matter of minutes. Luckily, it had been a pretty light meal. Izuku smiled when he realized that it had been light so it would be easy on his stomach.

"Thanks for the food." Izuku leaned back with a satisfied smile gracing his features. He couldn't remember the last time he had been that hungry.

"You're welcome. Are you feeling better now?" Uraraka asked and reached up to push some of her hair behind her ear. The sight distracted Izuku and he felt his fingers twitch with the urge to push her hair back.

"Yes. I slept for more than five hours, but I needed it badly." He laughed nervously after catching himself moving his hand forward. Uraraka was sitting to his right and Izuku was leaning up against his bed, so he tucked his right hand under his leg to keep it from moving on its own.

"Was it because of yesterday?" Uraraka asked slowly. She was biting on her lower lip, making Izuku suspect that she had been thinking about it for some time now.

"I, uh, dreamt that our conversation took a different turn." He explained and scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you about-"

"No, it's okay. It's not your fault Uraraka-san. I needed to have that conversation and I was glad it was with you." Izuku smiled softly in her direction. Now that he thought about it, that particular conversation had changed something in their friendship. Izuku felt that they were even closer now, which was exactly why he needed to tell her that he intended to seek professional help.

"Deku-kun I need to tell you something…"

* * *

 **I love teasing these dorks... Next week will be a heavy conversation, so ready yourselves. Have a nice weekend everyone! (=w=)/**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: There will be no update next week since I have an exam coming up soon, next chapter will be on Nov 10th. Meanwhile you should check out some of my favorite fics, if you haven't already read them. Erased Potential, If I could be your hero, To repel and attract and everything written by SevenRenny just to name a few. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Warning! Mention of self-harm ahead.**

* * *

"Is it about what you mentioned yesterday?" Izuku asked a little apprehensively. Uraraka's expression was guarded, so he couldn't immediately guess what she wanted to talk about, but from her tone it sounded serious.

"Yes." The brunette averted her gaze and let her eyes roam over some of the posters of All Might. She was secretly wishing for the top hero to give her strength to tackle her problems.

"Are you okay?" Izuku watched as Uraraka took a few steadying breaths and waited for her to elaborate.

"I think there is something wrong with me. My thoughts have been…very negative lately and I don't think it is normal." She started slowly and then trailed off, looking away once more.

"Negative? What kind of thoughts?" The freckled boy inquired. His brow was furrowed as he regarded her.

Ochaco was split between wanting to ease into the root of her problem and to be completely transparent and straight up tell Deku what was wrong. The brunette felt sick to her stomach every time she thought about the dark voice in her mind, but she was acutely aware that she needed to tell someone about it. But the words wouldn't come out no matter how hard she tried.

"Uraraka-san?" Deku reached out a hand and put it on her arm to show her his support. It felt reassuring that he was sitting within an arm's reach. She also appreciated how his attention was focused solely on her, but his frown she could do without.

"This is really hard for me to talk about…" Ochaco couldn't help but pout. Maybe she should have gone to someone who was professionally trained to handle hard conversations like this, but she hated feeling like a smaller person in front of an expert. The idea was rejected after Deku put it into words.

"Do you think you need to see the school counselor or something like that? Not to say I won't listen to what you want to say, of course I'll listen! I just thought that maybe someone who was equipped for it might be able to help you better than me..." He suggested nervously.

Ochaco thought back to the questions she had been asked following her check-up at the hospital recently and she couldn't stand all the clinical terms and professional jargon. She didn't want to see a psychologist and talk about her feelings, she just wanted someone to help her fix herself. Well that was technically what therapists did, she thought grumpily, but every fiber of her being was against the idea.

"I don't feel comfortable sharing it with a stranger, no matter how professional they are." Ochaco explained in a small voice. She was getting frustrated with herself for being annoyed by what Deku said. He was just trying to help, she reminded herself.

"I'm sorry." At Izuku's crestfallen expression, the brunette felt a stab of guilt in her chest. She hadn't meant to sound so blunt and instantly regretted even bringing it up.

"No, I didn't mean it like that! Ugh, this is so frustrating!" Ochaco rubbed her hands over her face in exasperation. She just had to tell Deku what was going on in her head, but why was it impossible to put into words?

"Uraraka-san, are you maybe pushing yourself to tell me because of our conversation yesterday?" Izuku would hate it if she was telling him out of guilt and not because she honestly wanted him to know what was bothering her. He didn't think that was the case, since she had mentioned it when they were still in his room and not on the way home after The Conversation.

"No… That's not it…" The words were right on the tip of her tongue, she just needed to vocalize them. No sound came out.

"It's okay. Take your time." Deku smiled weakly and Ochaco felt her eyes well up with tears. Her freckled friend became blurry around the edges, and she hastily blinked the tears away. She hated crying. Lately it had felt like she was constantly on the verge of tears and the smallest of things could push her over the edge. Ochaco sighed and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, they were starting to sting.

"Come here." Deku patted the spot on the floor next to him and scooted over to make room for her. Puzzled, Ochaco moved around the table and sat down next to him. She was pleasantly surprised when he moved closer to her and placed an arm across her shoulders. The brunette also noticed his face had turned an interesting shade of red, and she doubted it was eating something too spicy.

Ochaco knew how awkward he felt and it made her feel a little bad, but her heart swelled with happiness anyways. Deku always offered her comfort regardless of his embarrassment and he never complained about how difficult she was being. Ochaco once again realized what an amazing friend she had been blessed with and exhaled slowly. She was hugging her knees to her chest and looked at Midoriya sideways.

"What is happening to us?" She whispered. She hated feeling like this and she hated constantly troubling her best friend, but she felt so powerless the whole time. She wanted to feel like herself again, not like this burned out and hollow Ochaco. She wanted to be strong like Deku, who always put her at ease and made the world seem a little better. It was no wonder she kept seeking comfort from him.

"Do you-" Izuku never got to finishing his question, because in that instance it pounded on his door from the outside and his name was being called. Startled, he let his arm fall back down and glanced at her. She caught his eyes and nodded, signaling that it was fine if they talked later.

"Midoriya! I need your help!" The muffled voice sounded like Kirishima and Izuku slowly got up from the floor to let him in. While Deku got the door, Ochaco tried her best to school her feature back into a neutral expression. She was curious about what the redhead wanted, but she didn't want him to see her this bummed out.

"Oh, good, you're here. I need help to solve a few problems if you have time. Bakugo is pissed at me 'cause I'm too thick to get it and I couldn't find Prez anywhere, so I came to you. Oh hey, Uraraka!" Kirishima rambled from the moment Izuku opened the door but stopped short when he noticed the silent girl on the floor. Ochaco greeted him with a quiet hello, but otherwise stayed silent. He looked from Izuku to Uraraka and tried to decipher the situation.

"I, uh, can come back later if you're busy." Kirishima offered and took a step back.

"No it's okay, we were just hanging out. What do you need help with?" Izuku assured him and closed the door behind them. Kirishima looked dubious for a second, but decided to go ahead and join his two friends.

"It's about this chapter in math. Kaminari told me he heard you go over these equations earlier, but I don't understand anything at all. Can you explain this part to me?" Kirishima pointed to the sections he had been trying to grasp for more than an hour. He had promised himself he was going to do better in his studies and he had already improved in some of his worst subject since Iida implemented the study groups.

"Sure, when you have an equation of this type, the first thing to do is to identify the-" Deku started explaining the formulas to the redhead and Ochaco watched him as he spoke. He was so charismatic, it actually made her envious of him, but she shook her head and cleared the thoughts away. Instead she tried to decipher the different feelings that were swirling around inside her.

She was annoyed that she hadn't mustered up the courage to tell her that she was hearing voices. She was also feeling discouraged from telling him because of its implications. She was hearing the voice of the dark thoughts that had manifested in her heart and it kept pointing out how useless she was. It wasn't really her self-doubt that was the biggest problem. It was the fact that she was hearing the poisonous voice in the first place. That wasn't normal, right? Other emotions she could identify were gratitude and admiration for Deku. She needed to pull herself together, she decided. She would take his advice and not force herself to tell him, but she was going to work on it anyhow.

"Uraraka are you listening?" Kirishima addressed her out of nowhere and made her jump the tiniest bit.

"Sorry, what?" Ochaco asked, a little embarrassed that she had been so preoccupied. She hoped Kirishima hadn't called her for too long, she really hadn't noticed him saying her name. She looked over at Deku who was observing her carefully, waiting for her response.

"I was saying we should all go out to that new burger place tomorrow. Half the class has already been there and I heard they have amazing milkshakes!" Kirishima was bursting with excitement like a little kid. It seemed like Deku had gotten through to him and it made him more cheerful, if that was even possible.

"I heard about that from Mina and Tooru! Sure, I'll come!" His excitement was contagious and the idea was very appealing. It had been ages since she last taken a day off and the last time their class had done something together was when they went to the mall before the training camp. The memories of camp threatened to sneak up on her, but Ochaco stood her ground. She was sitting with her friends and her attention should be on them, not memories of an awful incident.

"We can have lunch there tomorrow, it'll be fun!" Kirishima continued.

"I can't remember the last time I had a burger." Izuku added dreamily. He had cut carbs out of his diet for a while when he was training to receive One for All, but now that he had reintroduced them to his meals, he only stayed away from junk food. Right now, however, a burger sounded amazing.

"Dude you have to try their combo meal, it is amazing!" Kirishima put a hand on Midoriya's shoulder as he described the meal and something caught Ochaco's eye. It was a long, thin scar that ran across Kirishima's forearm. His sleeve had rolled back a little and upon further inspection, the brunette could see more than one scar. They were almost white against his skin and seemed to glow to her.

"Kirishima-kun… That scar on your wrist… Is that from a fight?" She asked, dreading the answer. She had never noticed it before, but it didn't look fresh in the least. Kirishima's hand dropped back down and his fingers ghosted over the scar. Deku, who hadn't seen it, looked on in confusion.

"No. This is a few years old." Kirishima replied as his expression sobered. Ochaco felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown on her. Her eyes widened and a gasp left her, which made Izuku look at Kirishima in alarm. He had finally spotted the scar and from the horror on his face, it seemed like he had realized as well.

"Kirishima-kun, did you-" Izuku felt his throat tighten as he looked at the thin lines crisscrossing on the redhead's forearm.

"Yeah, I know it's bad, but I did this to myself when I was younger." The hardening quirk wielder looked incredibly vulnerable as his two friends gaped at him in shock. Eijiro wasn't proud of what he had done, but it was a part of him that probably wouldn't go away for a long time.

"Why did you do it?" Midoriya choked out. His eyes had gone huge and he looked very uncomfortable, which Kirishima thought was a pretty good reaction to have. Uraraka had gone mute and was looking at the table in front of her.

"I don't know, actually. It was at a point when I was hurting really bad and I just wanted the pain to stop. I didn't know how to handle it, but I thought that if I… hurt myself, the pain in my heart would disappear. Ah, but don't worry! I only did it a couple of times and have never even thought about doing it again." Eijiro explained and waved his hands around to assure his classmates that he was telling the truth. It was embarrassing to admit that he had self-harmed, but he was okay now, which was why he was able to talk about it so freely. He also knew that Midoriya was dealing with panic attacks, so it might be beneficial to talk about it.

"What happened?" Midoriya asked and looked horrified. His eyes shifted from Kirishima's arm, to his face, over at Uraraka and then back to Kirishima.

"My mom found out and whopped my ass," he laughed, "then she broke down crying and made me promise that I would go see a therapist." The serious expression returned to Kirishima and he sighed loudly.

"It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I was just a brat that thought I had to take on all these problems on my own, but the second someone reached out to me, I fell apart. I saw a psychologist for a while and I never did anything as unmanly again. And look, I'm completely fine now!" He ended with a blinding smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He was regarding Midoriya carefully, trying to get a message across. When he was satisfied, he looked over at Uraraka who still hadn't said anything.

"You okay there?" Kirishima asked and exchanged worried glances with Midoriya. He noticed the freckled boy reach a hand out to the brunette, but retracted it at the last moment.

"Yeah… I just hadn't expected it. Not from you." Uraraka spoke with sorrow filled eyes. Her hands were clenched into the fabric of her pants and she appeared to be shaking slightly.

"I get that a lot! But yeah, you never know what someone could be dealing with." Kirishima spoke softly, tracing the scars as he had done many times before. They were so familiar now that he couldn't remember them _not_ being there.

"That's also why I think anyone who is going through some shit should ask for help. You don't need to deal with anything on your own. That goes for both of you." Eijiro added and felt a little satisfaction when two pairs of eyes snapped up.

"Anyways, I am fine now and I'll never do anything like that again." Kirishima stretched his arms behind him. It wasn't that late, but he was feeling tired all over from his workout earlier. Now that he had gotten the help he needed in math, he was thinking of going to bed early.

"Promise?" Midoriya asked with an intensity that surprised Eijiro.

"Yeah." He nodded his head in return and watched as the other boy relaxed his posture a little. Uraraka, on the other hand, was stiff all over until she heard Midoriya ask him. When she saw Kirishima nod, she breathed a sigh of relief, but her body remained tense.

"All right, now stop being all gloomy! We have to be cheerful for tomorrow! I can't keep seeing you two frowning like this." Kirishima complained and poked Midoriya in the side, earning a yelp of surprise from the other boy.

* * *

 **Okay, hear me out. I have a headcannon that Kiri self-harmed when he was at his worst and that is where his obsession with manliness really started to take form. As someone who has dealt with depression for many years, I know that it becomes easier to talk about as time passes, so instead of having an extra angsty Kiri, I wanted him to open Izuku's and Ochaco's eyes a little. We will be diving a little deeper into Kiri's past soon. Next time will actually be fluffier, but until then, stay tuned! (=w=)/**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry I am two days late, but I needed some time to recover and actually finish writing. Anyone who read the latest manga chapter and kind of died? No? Just me? Also, I reached 200+ followers on this story, so a huge thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far. I need to get back into the flow of writing, so I do hope the chapter is cohesive.**

 **WARNING! Mentions of self-harm and instigating suicide (not much!)**

* * *

Kirishima stayed with Midoriya and Uraraka for a while after they discovered his scars. He had instantly detected the strange mood between them, but they didn't seem to be fighting, so he had hung around for a bit, explaining himself. Midoriya had, as expected, reacted strongly to hearing about the scars, which made Eijiro a little happy, since it meant that the freckly boy had no intention of self-harming. At least, it looked like it.

Uraraka, on the other hand, looked like she was ready to faint. Iida had mentioned to him that the brunette seemed to be under a lot of pressure lately, and Eijiro had noticed that as well, but at the moment she looked positively ill.

"Uraraka, you okay?" He asked for the second time that evening. She jumped a little and her eyes snapped up to his, but only mumbled something about being tired, which Kirishima didn't buy for one second.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have told you like that." Eijiro laughed sheepishly and scratched his neck. Midoriya looked up at him and shook his head.

"No, I'm glad you told us. Thank you." The green-haired teenager's brows were furrowed and his eyes wandered over to the brunette on his right every few moments. Kirishima noticed that she was wringing her hands nervously and avoiding eye contact with Midoriya. Maybe he should leave them to sort out whatever was bothering Uraraka, he thought to himself. They looked like they wanted to be left alone, so Eijiro started to get up and return to his own room.

"Man, I'm tired! I'll be hitting the sack soon, so I'll see you guys tomorrow, yeah?" Eijiro stretched his arms behind his back, before bending down to pick up his textbook. As he turned around to head out, Midoriya rose and followed him to the door, closing it behind them as they left Uraraka inside.

"Kirishima-kun… I think I needed to hear your story tonight. Thank you for sharing it with us." Midoriya's hand was still on the doorknob and his eyes were sweeping down the corridor with a faraway look in them.

"Don't sweat it. After what I've been through, I'd hate to see any of my friends go down that same path." Eijiro turned the book around in his hands a couple of times before looking up to meet Midoriya's eyes.

"Yeah." There was an odd expression on Midoriya's face, one that the redhead couldn't really describe. What Kirishima didn't know was that Izuku was seeing a ghost from his own past.

In his mind, the image of a small, isolated boy slumped on the ground had appeared. At first he was alone, but then a big hand reached out to him and pulled him up from the floor. The hand belonged to All Might and more hands started following the pro hero's. His mother's hand, feeling like love and support placed itself on his back. A rough, masculine hand that looked nearly square shaped followed by a smaller, softer and feminine hand with tiny pads on the fingertips. More hands added to the image, one with hardened skin and white scars that lined the surface, another pair of hands was warm and cold at the same time and a third hand that appeared was bigger than a human's, but still kind and warm. Each one grabbed hold of the boy and pulled him up from the floor, guiding him to the faint light he had always been able to see, but never grasp. Not on his own, he realized.

"Midoriya? Did you fall asleep?" Kirishima waved his hand back and forth in front of the unresponsive boy next to him. Finally, a tiny light flickered in the green eyes that had been so dim for weeks and a small smile tugged at the corner of Midoriya's mouth.

"No, I think I just woke up." Izuku replied, feeling the rush of new energy coursing through him. It was like he had been walking around in a haze, which was now dissipating and letting him see clearly again.

"Alright. Now go take care of Uraraka. She needs a friend right now." Kirishima's expression and tone was completely serious when he put a hand on Izuku's shoulder. The freckled teenager nodded as the hand was lifted from his shoulder and Kirishima started trekking his way back to the stairs. He turned around and waved once before disappearing out of sight, and Izuku took a moment to steady himself for the conversation he was about to have. He and Uraraka were really digging deep these days.

A slight creaking sound made Izuku whirl around and notice a thin strip of light falling onto the floor. One eyeball poked out from the small crack that had appeared in the door and a chuckling could be heard in the corridor, making the hair on his arms stand on end.

"Midoriya… Two guys and a girl… I didn't think you had it in you…" Chuckles came from the short shadow in the doorway next to Izuku's. Shivers ran down his spine when he realized what Mineta was implicating and he could feel his face starting to grow hot.

"N-no that's not it!"

* * *

Ochaco hadn't moved from the floor since her two classmates walked out. She sat rooted to the spot, unable to stop thinking about Kirishima hurting himself. How could such a gentle and compassionate person ever do something so horrible to himself? Maybe his pain was the reason he became gentle, she mused.

' _Like you're any better. Haven't you been doing the exact same thing?'_ The poisonous voice suddenly echoed in her mind, startling her badly. Ochaco grit her teeth in response and tried to push the voice out of her head, but it was too strong.

' _You want to do the same thing, don't you? I bet Kirishima cut himself using his quirk, why don't you jump from the balcony and do the same?'_ An image of herself climbing onto the railing of Deku's balcony and letting her foot slip appeared in her head.

"Shut up!" Ochaco hissed under her breath and pushed even harder to block out the voice. Dark-Ochaco was relentless and kept whispering, her voice sugary sweet.

' _Why not do it? You're useless, so no one will even notice that you're gone…'_ It kept taunting her. Ochaco wanted to scream. Why did this voice come out every time she let down her guard? It was frustrating and scary. She constantly had to keep a mental barrier up and if something disturbed her mental fortitude, the snake slithered forward and poisoned her mind. She needed to get a grip, she told herself. The voice only had power over her, if she allowed it to.

' _Maybe Midoriya will be the next one to hurt himself. His quirk is pretty strong, he could totally do it.'_

"No, Deku would never do that." Ochaco stated calmly. A sudden bout of clarification washed over her. This voice didn't know anything about her friends, it just twisted its words to target whatever Ochaco was feeling. At Deku's house, it had spoken when she had admired him from behind, something she had been doing a lot since the sports festival.

She admired Deku so much and the constant worry that he and everyone else were moving ahead and leaving her behind had been the incentive the voice needed to attack her. Now it preyed on her negative emotions and made her feel miserable at every given opportunity, but Ochaco wouldn't let it win. She would get ahold of her emotions and control her reaction whenever something happened. Until she worked up the courage to see the doctors, she would have to take care of it on her own.

The door opened again and Midoriya came back, muttering to himself. He looked disheveled, but there was something different about the way he carried himself. Giving him a once-over, Ochaco realized that he his shoulders were squared and despite not looking at her right away, his face was set in determination.

"Deku-kun?" She asked, head tilted sideways. The dark voice in her mind had gone quiet the moment Midoriya came back and Ochaco couldn't feel its presence any longer.

"Ah sorry about leaving you here, I just wanted to clear up something with Kirishima-kun." Deku explained and sat back down on the floor. The light from the ceiling reflected off his eyes, making them shine brighter than ever before and Ochaco stared into them again, feeling a tingling sensation in her body that she yet had to grow accustomed to.

"That's okay. I needed a few minutes to collect my thoughts after hearing about…" The brunette trailed off without finishing the sentence. She was aware that Deku knew exactly what she meant and it still felt strange to picture Kirishima all alone… hurting.

"I know what you mean. I did not see that coming, but I am glad he has moved past it now." Izuku sighed and rested his head on the bed behind him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and breathed slowly.

"Do you think… Should we maybe see someone about our problems?" Ochaco fidgeted as she spoke. After hearing Kirishima say that it was the best thing that happened to him, she found herself actually contemplating seeing a therapist.

"Yeah. We can't do this on our own." Deku answered and lifted his head from the bed. Ochaco noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his pale complexion.

"I just… I'm not ready." The brunette whispered and started tracing patterns on the coffee table with her index finger.

"Uraraka-san… I know it's hard to open up and tell someone, but you won't get better if you keep putting it off." Deku scolded gently. His eyes were shining with the same intensity as before, but his features were relaxed and his voice even. Ochaco felt ashamed she couldn't tell him that she was scared of telling others about the dark thoughts in her mind.

"I won't. I just need to work this out on my own… Please?" Her voice was low and Izuku could see the gears turning inside her head. Uraraka's expression was earnest and she looked like she had made up her mind already. Izuku sighed and accepted defeat. There was no point in pressuring her, but at least she had decided to accept help. Still, he needed her word.

"You have to promise me you'll see the school counselor as soon as possible and you'll tell me if there is even the slightest thing wrong. Also you have to tell your parents about your nightmares." Izuku added as an afterthought. He, too, had decided to tell his mother and All Might about his nightmares and he wanted the brunette to do the same. They had to start somewhere and they had to rely on each other.

"I will. Thank you Deku." Uraraka reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze before letting it fall back down to his side.

"Was this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Izuku asked her. Before Kirishima showed up, she had looked so anxious and tense at the same time, so he figured it had been related to what she was going through at the moment. When she nodded, his suspicion was confirmed.

"I've been having really bad thoughts lately…" She admitted slowly and looked anywhere but at Izuku. She was thinking about how to formulate her next sentence when Midoriya interrupted her thoughts by almost throwing himself forwards and slamming into the coffee table between them.

"…Are you-are you _suicidal_?" Izuku sounded horrified at the prospect. He desperately hoped that wasn't the case, and knowing Uraraka it surely wasn't, but he had to make sure just in case. If anything, he had learned today that not everyone was fine no matter how they portrayed themselves to others.

"No! No not at all!" Uraraka's hands flew up in defense and she shook her head vigorously. Her eyes had widened in disbelief and horror washed over her face, making Izuku sigh in relief.

"Thank god." He looked genuinely relieved after hearing her answer and nearly made her chuckle when he slumped back with a hand clutched to his heart.

"I'm not self-harming either… It's just… Compared to you and everyone else, I'm so weak. I need to get stronger, I know, but sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be good enough as a hero…" Ochaco realized a second too late how much she had let slip and immediately tried to backtrack when she saw Midoriya's shocked expression.

"I-I mean, I just feel like I need to work harder you know? Like you and Iida-kun or Tsuyu-chan… I uh… yeah, something like that." Ochaco finished lamely and mentally smacked herself for not thinking before opening her mouth. What was it with the Midoriyas that made her spill the beans all the time? Deku's mother had also made her confess the same thing just a day ago.

"Uraraka-san, I had no idea… But you shouldn't compare yourself to others, no matter the circumstances. That's like comparing your chapter one with someone else's chapter 15… And you're by no means weak! Do I have to remind you of how high you ranked in the entrance exam and the sports festival? Not to mention all your work with Gunhead, the training camp and your internship with Ryuukyuu. No one would get that far if they weren't strong, determined and extremely capable." Deku started rambling and his steady stream of words only came to an end, when Ochaco was stunned into silence. The tops of his cheeks pinked, but he still had something to add, so he kept going.

"You are not weak just because your heart feels heavy. That's what All Might once told me and I feel that applies to you right now." The freckled boy scratched his head and looked up at the brunette from under his bangs.

She was completely silent, but tears had welled up in her eyes during his speech and made Izuku feel like a complete jerk. Had his words been too harsh and made her cry? He shouldn't have been so direct about it, he should just have told her that she had his support and wasn't in it alone. Tiny hiccups started and Uraraka's hands went up to cover her mouth. Izuku had really done it now, he had made a girl cry. His mother was going to kill him.

* * *

 **Next time the kids will go get burgers and milkshakes, so stay tuned!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So a little late again, but to compensate I wrote a longer chapter to hopefully satisfy your needs. Anyone read chapter 160 yet? I'm kind of dying on the inside. Enjoy!**

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"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you, please don't cry!" Izuku pleaded with the sniffling brunette in front of him. He was on his knees with his hands extended out to reach for her, but he didn't quite dare touch her for fear of her reaction. In the back of his mind, Izuku thought that Mineta surely would have something lewd to say about having a crying girl in his room.

"Uraraka-san?" Izuku inched closer and put his hands on her upper arms, while she swiped at her eyes with her hands. A few shuddering breaths and a mumbled apology later, she calmed down.

"Sorry, I don't know what happened." She sniffled and accepted the tissue Izuku had grabbed from the box on his table. The tray with the bowls and cutlery was still sitting on top of the table, all but forgotten.

"I think I'm just tired… Maybe I should head back to my room." The brunette exhaled shakily. Izuku could see the exhaustion on her face, but he wasn't entirely comfortable with leaving her on her own. Especially now that she had told him that she wasn't at her best emotionally.

"I just need to gather my thoughts, Deku-kun. Maybe I'll call it a night." Uraraka rose slowly and stretched her limbs, before turning to leave. For a moment, Izuku saw a spark in her eyes that reminded him of the first time they met and it left him without words. The brunette had already reached the door and waved at him before she headed out.

"Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Once Ochaco reached the fourth floor, she headed straight for her room and closed the door behind her before slumping down on the floor. She hadn't been able to do it. She hadn't been able to tell Midoriya about the voice that was plaguing her and had instead been encouraged by him yet again. Hugging her knees close to her chest, Ochaco rested her head on top of her arms and sat like that for what felt like hours.

Saying that she was miserable was an understatement. It felt like the room was spinning, so she kept her head on top of her arms and tried to ignore the feeling of despair bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Ochaco had no idea why she was feeling this way. She hadn't expected to be able to tell Deku about her problems right away, but an intense feeling of hopelessness was washing over her for no reason other than her not mustering up the courage to tell him.

In her mind, it had been simple enough to execute. Go to his room, tell Deku about her theory with the villain poison and then… Then what? Was she going to rely on him again to fix her problems? Did she want Deku to pity her? Ochaco raised her head from her arms and fixed her gaze on the strip of darkened sky she could see from her window. Why had she gone to Deku in the first place? What did she have to gain from sharing something so embarrassing with him? She closed her eyes again and sat in the dark.

' _No, this isn't about gaining something. It's about being honest with my friends and relying on them.'_ The brunette mentally berated.

' _But you're not being honest. You kept quiet about me, which is as good as lying. You're scum.'_ Dark-Ochaco's voice sounded faintly in her mind and was nowhere near as fierce as it usually was. Ochaco was too tired to block out the words, but she noticed that they were lacking their normal ferocity and barely made any impression on her. It was just an annoyance.

' _You can rely on me. Let me know if I can do anything for you. You're not alone.'_ Snippets of conversations she had had with Deku resonated in her mind and gave her the little bit of strength she needed.

With a single push of her mind, the voice was silenced.

Ochaco sighed and picked herself up from the floor. Her room could use some tidying and the brunette was in need of doing something that didn't require much brainpower, so she started picking up some clothes that were strewn about on the floor. Cleaning almost felt therapeutic to Ochaco's mother, so she had grown up watching her mom's cleaning frenzies when business had been particularly bad or just some dusting off if something annoying had transpired during the day. Now, the brunette channeled her inner mother and tried to apply the same coping mechanism.

She needed to be distracted. Ochaco didn't want to think, she didn't want to tackle her problems. She wanted to be free of them, but ultimately, she didn't have the energy or the skills to solve them right now. Instead, she put them on the back burner in her mind and got around to organize her room. Her desk was a mess with books lying open and papers scattered all over the surface. Her shelves needed to be reorganized as well and the furniture needed a good dusting now that she was at it.

Ochaco rummaged around her room for close to an hour and felt a whole lot better when she was done with the tasks she had set for herself. She was currently folding the clean clothes she had misplaced sometime during the week when a thought occurred to her. Midoriya's kind words had taken off some of the weight on her shoulders, making Ochaco feel lighter. Maybe that was why the dark voice had been weaker. Maybe his words had been the catalyst she needed to gain the upper hand.

Whatever the reason, she felt more like herself than she had for the past couple of days and that was saying something. Her day had started off well enough, but it had ended in a way she had never expected. She never would have thought that Kirishima would hurt himself. He seemed so fixated with being manly, but that was probably a result of what had happened. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, Ochaco picked up the last stack of clothes that needed to be put away and was grateful Kirishima had gotten help.

If he could get through his problems, surely she could as well. Ochaco, now feeling sort of refreshed picked up her cell phone and texted some of the girls asking them if they wanted to join them tomorrow for lunch. She was actually really looking forward to hanging out with her friends and get food.

* * *

"Ah, there she is! Uraraka hurry up!" Kirishima called out to her and waved his hands around energetically. He and the rest of the guys had been waiting for Uraraka and Tsuyu to join them for close to five minutes now. Luckily the restaurant was a ten minute walk away, so they were in no real hurry.

"Coming!" The brunette replied and sped up with the frog-girl in tow. The two girls had gotten held up by the rest of the females in their class on their way out. The other four girls had already visited the burger place, so the remaining two were bombarded with recommendation. Even Momo, the epitome of everything high-class, had enjoyed the burger and milkshake she had been served.

"I hope the shakes are as good as they say." Tsuyu remarked thoughtfully as they came to a halt next to the boys waiting for them. Their group consisted of the two girls, Kirishima, Midoriya, Todoroki and Iida.

"If Yaomomo enjoyed them, I bet they're good." Ochaco beamed at her. For once she had slept through the night and it had done wonders for her energy, so she was in unusually high spirits. Kirishima and Midoriya looked the most excited, while Todoroki was looking on in mild interest. Iida looked impassive, but Ochaco could detect hints of excitement in his movements. Having grown up in the upper class, he might not have eaten that much junk food before. That had been the case for the vice president, anyways.

"Hey guys!" Ochaco greeted them cheerfully and got a chorus of greetings in return. Tsuyu finished her hellos before Kirishima took the lead and started heading in the direction of the fast food restaurant.

"Was Asui-san the only one who wanted to join?" Deku asked as they started walking together. The girl in question nodded her head and smoothed out the skirt she was wearing as she walked. Her sandals clacked against the pavement as they made their way through the busy streets.

"Mina-chan and Tooru-chan already took Kyoka and Momo. Ochaco-chan and I were the only ones left." Her explanation was followed by her characteristic ribbit, which made the brunette smile. Tsuyu was always herself, no matter what situation she was in.

"I see. Todoroki-kun has never had a burger before, so I hope he'll enjoy it as well." Midoriya looked ahead and watched the heterochromic teenager converse with Iida and Kirishima a few paces ahead of them. Izuku, knowing how tough Todoroki's childhood had been, wanted his first burger experience to be a happy one. Maybe they should buy him a kid's meal to see his reaction?

"That's actually not that surprising. He told me his favorite foods were cold Soba and other more traditional Japanese dishes, so he might not have had much western food." Ochaco recalled him telling her when she had offered him a piece of chocolate that he had politely declined. Or maybe he just didn't have a very sweet tooth.

"I guess so." Deku replied. Ochaco sneaked a glance at him and noticed that he looked as tired as usual. He probably hadn't slept that well, but he seemed to be holding up fine. A prickling sensation on the back of her neck made her look up and her eyes locked onto an icy blue and brown gaze. Their eyes were locked for a second only and there had been nothing accusing or intense in Todoroki's eyes, it had probably just been a coincidence, but Ochaco still sucked in a breath of relief when he looked away. She noticed Iida throwing her a glance over his shoulder, but he just smiled at her and turned his attention back to the road in front of him.

"I hope they have curly fries, those are my favorite!" Deku gushed happily beside her and snapped her back to reality. He really was excited about going out to eat and his cheerfulness was contagious. He was laughing at something Tsuyu said when Ochaco realized that he probably hadn't been out with friends a whole lot and her expression softened.

"There it is guys!" Kirishima pointed to a massive double story building with bright signs outside. Ochaco's eyes widened in disbelief and she heard Deku mutter something under his breath next to her. Tables and benches were scattered outside and many guests were enjoying their meals outdoors. A set of automatic doors granted them entry and they were instantly blasted with a cool gust from the AC unit.

Once they entered, the brunette had to take a moment to appreciate the interior. It was brightly lit and sectioned off for guests with different preferences. People dining alone could sit by the tables that lined the gigantic windows without being disturbed. Families could sit in the half-circle booths that were colored bright orange or lime green. There was an indoor playground for children fully equipped with slides and jungle gyms as well as huge beanbags they could lounge in and the playground connected to the identical one outside via tunnels and bridges.

Ochaco looked around for a few more moments before she walked up to the rest of her friends who were looking at the menu. There was so much to choose from, the brunette felt overwhelmed with the selection. There were so many things she wanted to try, but the moment her eyes landed on the prices, she instantly regretted ever looking. This was way over what she had budgeted for eating out this week and if there was one thing Ochaco was meticulous about, it was her budget.

"Getting a menu is more expensive, but it has a better value and I'll get fries along with my burger, but do I really need that though?" Ochaco whispered to herself as she calculated the value of the different menus. She faintly registered Deku and Kirishima starting to put an order together with Iida and Tsuyu.

"Should I just get a single then?" The brunette scanned the different rows of items on the menu as she tried to decide what to get without blowing up her budget. She hadn't noticed Todoroki standing next to her, also looking up and down the menu, but he had happened to hear her musings and had gotten an idea.

"Uraraka, do you want to share a menu? I'm not sure what to get and I don't think I can finish a meal by myself. I actually just want to try a milkshake, so we could split the bill." The hybrid quirk user suggested once he caught her attention. Shoto had seen her troubled look once she started looking over the menu on the wall and he wasn't sure he would like half the things on the list, so it seemed like a natural thing to ask. Judging from the way her eyes lit up he had made the right choice. The brunette agreed readily and together they decided what menu to choose.

"I always go for vanilla milkshakes, so that's what I'll recommend. Yaomomo tried all and said their vanilla was best, so it might be worth trying." Ochaco pointed to the different flavors the restaurant offered and waited while Todoroki hummed thoughtfully. She never would have thought the day would come where she helped class A's best student pick a drink, but life was funny like that.

"Guess I'll go with your suggestion then." Todoroki looked at her with what she had come to recognize as his small smile. From over the ice user's shoulder, she could see Midoriya and Iida observing them with tiny smiles of their own and Ochaco looked away in embarrassment. They looked like the parents of a socially awkward child from the way they were secretly watching her interaction with Todoroki.

"Let's put in our order then." Ochaco led him to the automat where they would get his milkshake and explained how it worked. Todoroki watched curiously as Ochaco put in their order on the screen and even asked a few questions about the add-ons and toys for children's meals.

"Has everyone ordered? Where do you guys wanna sit?" Kirishima rounded up the group after putting together the orders and looked over the available seats. There were enough spots to choose from, but they would have to act fast to avoid every seat getting taken.

"Should we maybe sit outside? It's not too hot today and I feel like this place will get cramped in the lunch rush." Midoriya suggested and started to lead his friends outside. He looked around with a frown, trying to choose a spot that would accommodate them all and was distracted by Kirishima's shout of surprise.

"Oh, that's Bakugo! Let's go join him." He pointed to an ashy blond head in the crowd occupying one of the larger tables by himself. Izuku hadn't even noticed him sitting there, but followed along as Kirishima maneuvered through the tables, hoping for the best. He exchanged glances with Uraraka and Iida and nodded when they wordlessly asked if they should join him or not.

"Yo, Bakugo! Why didn't you tell me you were coming here too, we could have gone together." Kirishima grinned and plopped down on the bench opposite Bakugo, who froze when he noticed the group of people behind the redhead.

"Because I didn't want to be caught dead with you shitheads. Now fuck off and let me eat in peace." Bakugo growled in annoyance. It was bad enough that his order had gotten mixed up and he had gotten a chocolate shake instead of banana, he didn't need the rest of the fuckers to ruin his lunch.

"Aw, come on man. Don't be like that, it'll be fun." Kirishima insisted and waved the rest of his friends over. Midoriya moved forwards tentatively, but was stopped by Iida zooming past him.

"That is no way to address your classmates, Bakugo-kun! Kirishima-kun merely wanted to join you for your meal!" Having gone into class president mode, Iida didn't notice the vein near Bakugo's temple throb and continued lecturing him.

Izuku, having known Kacchan for a decade, noticed the small tendrils of smoke rising from the palms of the angry boy's hands and felt a surge of panic in his stomach. He noticed Todoroki tensing up beside him and turned his head so fast his neck almost snapped, shaking his head no. A confrontation would only cause the blond to explode, and they needed to diffuse the situation before it evolved into something worse. Looking at each of his friends, he locked eyes with Uraraka who nodded encouragingly towards him. He had a plan and he needed her help to pull it off. The green haired teen quickly whispered what he had in mind to the brunette and she nodded in agreement, giving him a thumbs up to indicate that she was on board with it.

"K-kacchan we bought extra fries! Lots of them!" Izuku interrupted Iida and stepped forward, effectively catching Bakugo's attention and silencing him momentarily. Iida fell silent too and watched as Izuku took another step forward, waiting to see what would happen.

"…I'm listening." The blond finally said and fixed his red eyes on the freckled boy. He didn't notice Uraraka disappearing back into the crowd with their receipts in hand, his focus solely on Izuku.

"With hot sauce and mayonnaise on the side. We wouldn't mind sharing them with you, if you'll share your table with us." Izuku managed to say without his voice shaking too much. Kacchan regarded him for a moment then sighed, making Izuku exhale shakily from relief. His plan had worked.

"Fine." Kacchan agreed and scooted over on the bench so Iida could sit down next to him. He was only doing it for the fries, he reminded himself. He could leave as soon as he finished eating.

Iida and Tsuyu sat down on Bakugo's side of the table while Izuku and Todoroki joined Kirishima on the bench, leaving a spot open for Uraraka. It wasn't long before she returned with their orders – and the extra fries they had added – together with some of the staff.

"Todoroki-kun, look! We got an extra milkshake free of charge as a promotional deal!" The brunette exclaimed happily as she sat down next to the ice user and in front of Tsuyu while they distributed the different orders.

"I see." Todoroki replied and reached for his drink. It felt cool to the touch and he tentatively took a sip of the thick drink, pausing momentarily to taste it, before swallowing.

Ochaco discreetly signaled to Deku that she had done what he asked and he nodded at her gratefully, before accepting the tray with his food. He had looked forward to having his burger all day and it didn't disappoint in the least. Izuku took a bite and savored the meal, before getting right in there and devouring it. He reached for his favorite curly fries and dipped them in the sauce he had chosen, before carefully biting into them.

"Midoriya take it slow!" Kirishima laughed as he watched the freckled boy practically inhale his food. His friend looked up in embarrassment, before taking another bite and chewing slower than before.

"It's so good!" Izuku exclaimed, ready to cry tears of happiness. He reached for his drink and took a sip, letting the chocolate flavor wash over his taste buds before reaching for more fries. This was it, Izuku could die happy.

"I agree!" Iida boomed as he offered Bakugo the extra fries they had ordered, which the blond slowly accepted. In the blink of an eye, however, Bakugo had snatched up all the sauces they were supposed to share and hogged them all, grinning maniacally.

"Ah, no fair Blasty! I want sauce too!" Kirishima yelled and dived for the tiny containers, but grabbed thin air as the blond dodged and moved out of the redhead's reach.

"You can pry them from my dead, cold hands!" He screamed back. Lucky for them, they were sitting outside and there was noise everywhere, so no one noticed the two teenagers fighting over sauces.

"Did he say cold? I can freeze him for you." Todoroki suggested seriously, causing Izuku and Ochaco to burst into laughter. Tsuyu chuckled too and explained to him that it was a metaphor, while Iida tried to get his two rowdy classmates back under control.

Izuku wiped away tears of laughter and observed the scene. Iida was scolding Kacchan and Kirishima for behaving childishly while Uraraka and Asui made Todoroki try the different dips they had managed to keep away from Bakugo's clutches. Grabbing another fry and putting it into his mouth, Izuku realized that he rather enjoyed eating out with his friends.

* * *

 **Okay, I finally let my kids enjoy their youth instead of putting them through more angst. Will try to get back on the Friday uploading schedule, but we'll see. Grad school is sucking the life force out of me and I have little to no time to write. I'll still do my best tho, your feedback keeps me going. Until next time! (=w=)/**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I decided to go with another fluffy/peaceful/fun chapter before I start torturing my children again. This has been part of the plot from the beginning, but not to such an extent. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The following week passed as a blur for class 1A. Super move training had picked up once again and the interning students were extremely busy juggling both. The summer heat was bordering on unbearable, but the aspiring heroes never let it get in the way of their duties. During another study session with Iida, Izuku had been approached by Todoroki, whose eyes looked distant.

"Midoriya. Do you have a minute?" The heterochromic teenager came to a stop next to his two classmates that had been pouring over their books for hours now.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" The freckled boy inquired and exchanged a glance with the class president, who also had noticed the strange air around their friend.

"You seem troubled." Iida remarked lightly. It was unusual for the ever-composed Todoroki to have his brows scrunched together in thought.

"I guess? Ah, well I need your help." Todoroki replied and nodded towards them both. Iida and Midoriya looked at each other again and nodded simultaneously, before clearing some space on the table, so they hybrid quirk user could take a seat.

"What's on your mind?" Izuku asked tentatively, not wanting to rush the other boy, but also giving him leverage to start somewhere. He hadn't experienced a bothered Todoroki before, not like this anyway. It seemed like something was on his mind, but nowhere near as intensely as during the sports festival a few months back.

"Yesterday when we were eating, Uraraka told me that food made her incredibly happy." Todoroki stated and looked up from beneath his bangs. Iida nodded his head and prompted him to continue, while Izuku looked on curiously.

"I was just thinking that if food makes people happy, then surely they would appreciate if someone tried to make them food from scratch, right?" The pair of different colored eyes looked up at the other two present.

"Could it be that there is someone you want to cook for?" Izuku suggested kindly, trying to wrap his head around what his normally aloof friend was saying.

"Yes." He replied simply. Todoroki was always so direct that it made the corners of Izuku's lips twitch upward in a smile. He quickly regained his composure and thought about what his friend had asked. Would a person who enjoyed food appreciate something home cooked?

"If you ask me, I think anyone would appreciate something home-cooked whether or not they were complete foodies." Iida answered thoughtfully to which Izuku nodded his agreement.

"It's a nice gesture and speaks volumes about the effort you put into making them happy." The green haired teen supplied with a smile, having figured out what the ice user's intentions were.

"I see." Todoroki fell silent for a few moments. By now Iida and Midoriya knew him well enough to know he was mulling over their words and not necessarily done with the conversation. As predicted, he looked up again after a minute and addressed them once more.

"How do you cook? I can't make anything aside from rice." He asked curiously and tilted his head a little to the side, almost making Izuku laugh at the mention of his rice.

"Well, that depends on what you want to cook." Iida started and began listing different types of meals and their level of difficulties. The class president wanted to encourage his friend to cook by himself, but knew of his lacking experience in that department.

"Was there something specific you had in mind?" Izuku tried another approach when he could see confusion on poor Todoroki's face. Iida's heart was in the right place, but he was unknowingly overwhelming the ice user with options and information to go with everything.

"When I asked Uraraka, she said she liked sweets. But aren't they kind of hard to make?" Todoroki asked. The brunette hadn't elaborated on what kind of sweets she liked, but Shoto's impression of her was that she wasn't a picky eater. They had talked a lot about food the previous day and she had looked generally excited at the mention of most things edible.

"Again that depends on what type you are looking to make. Some are quite easy actually." Izuku listed off some of the easier options that he liked as well as the more complicated one.

"But you shouldn't eat too many! Sweets cause cavities and oral health should not be neglected!" Iida, always the voice of reason, interjected when Midoriya's list of favorite sweets was becoming long.

"Do you know if there is something that person likes to eat? That'll narrow down you choices." Izuku got the hint and steered the conversation back to the problem at hand.

"I think my mother likes cookies. I remember her baking them a few times." Shoto replied with a hint of a smile on his face, but missed how his friends' expressions softened.

"Are you making them for your mom?" Izuku asked and felt his heart melt the tiniest bit. Iida also looked like he was looking at a puppy. Todoroki really had come far from the closed off loner they had met months ago. Now he was actively seeking people out to help him and doing what he could to make his loved ones happy.

"Yes, didn't I mention that?" It must have slipped his mind when he asked their advice.

"In that case I think she would enjoy anything you made for her!" Iida expressed eagerly, hands flying forwards in his usual manner.

"Would she though? I am not sure if there are foods she doesn't like." Todoroki frowned as he tried to recall his mother's eating habits. It was too long ago, but he was fairly sure she at least liked cookies, which he told the others.

"Sticking with cookies would be a good idea then." Iida nodded in approval. Not many knew this about Iida, but he really enjoyed eating baked goods. In moderation, of course.

"I have no idea how to make them." Todoroki Shoto was nothing if not blunt, which triggered another smile from both his friends.

"You have to first choose a recipe and then follow it, Todoroki-kun!" Izuku laughed and his entire face lit up with mirth, causing Todoroki's mouth to twitch in response. Iida chuckled too and pulled up his phone to start browsing for recipes.

The trio sat for nearly twenty minutes comparing recipes and thinking up variations, before they settled on chocolate chip cookies with three types of chocolate, much to Izuku's delight. Having talked about cookies for nearly half an hour had made him want to eat some.

"Do you mind if I join you when you make them?" He asked Todoroki kindly and smiled widely when the ice user accepted gratefully. It had been a long time since Izuku had baked something and he was itching to start.

"I would like to assist you as well!" Iida offered loudly, bouncing with excitement. He could finally test out 'the Secret Iida Recipe for Perfectly Chewy Cookies™' while helping his friend! His brother would be proud, he thought and deflated for just a second, before returning full force with excitement. If he managed to recreate the ancient recipe, he could bring cookies the next time he visited his brother.

Feeling inspired by Todoroki's idea, Iida began writing a list of things they would need before they could get started. With the help of Midoriya and Todoroki, he finished and together they went off in search of the ingredients they needed to whip up the best cookies ever seen! That had been the plan at least.

The next two hours were spent scrounging up ingredients, tools and securing a kitchen station to work on. It had gone smoothly at first, but when the time came to begin following the recipe, tiny hiccups came in the way.

"I don't think the eggshells are supposed to go into the batter…"

"Iida-kun you are stirring the dough too fast!"

"Todoroki-kun don't use so much force! The knife will break!"

"Midoriya, I think there's too much flour. It's all over your face, too."

"Gah, I almost cut myself!"

"Todoroki-kun, please refrain from suing your quirk to melt the butter!"

And many other difficulties were voiced during the big baking project. Their peers had looked on curiously from afar, not daring to come near Todoroki with a knife in his hand for safety reasons. Some of the boys, mainly Kirishima, Kaminari and Sero had started betting on the outcome of the cookies.

After struggling for nearly an hour, much to the amusement of those who were watching, the first timer went off with a loud ping, startling the three bakers. They had forgotten about the timer and had been watching the cookies through the oven door. Iida carefully opened the oven, trying to avoid the heat from fogging up his glasses, and pulled out the first tray with his cookies.

Gingerly placing them on the cooling rack, the class president stepped back and admired his handiwork. Once the remnants of steam cleared from his glasses he got to take a good look at the cookies… that had been burnt all over the surface. Falling to his knees, Iida shook from disappointment. He had failed to make the Perfect Iida Cookies!

"Maybe it's only the surface that got overcooked!" Midoriya suggested hopefully, but his hopes were squashed when Todoroki picked up a cookie and it crumbled between his fingers and Iida let out a curse and started going over the recipe in hushed voice.

Now that the knives had been put out of Todoroki's range, some of their classmates stepped closer at the commotion. Sero sullenly handed over some bills to Kaminari who cackled loudly in response.

Next up was Midoriya's timer that went off. He nervously opened the oven and picked up the tray with his cookies, careful not to burn his fingers on the edges. They looked better than he had expected, although they seemed lumpy and a tad bit on the dry side. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, when they were put on the cooling rack and watched as Todoroki started pulling out his own batch. Iida's rambling could still

Once the ice-and-fire-user had put down his tray, he heard a collective gasp and was surprised to see a handful of their classmates gaping at his tray. He looked down and was surprised to see completely flat discs with lumps of chocolate in the middle. They weren't exactly circular either. Many of the balls of dough he had deposited onto the baking sheet had flowed out into one giant cookie without any distinct shape.

"…That wasn't supposed to happen." Todoroki observed. Midoriya got closer and inspected the edges of the cookies, but found little to salvage. Not only had they not retained their form, but they were way undercooked. Hushed whispers could be heard from the tiny crowd that had gathered and everyone looked on in suspense.

"I wonder where we went wrong." Midoriya mused and put a hand to his chin as he glanced between the three batches of cookies. They had all followed the same base recipe and only added minor alterations to each of their doughs.

"How could I let this happen? I have tainted the history of the Iida family cookies!" The class president wailed dramatically. He had followed the instructions to a T, so he couldn't fathom his result.

"Chill Prez, at least Midoriya managed to make some decent cookies." Kaminari sauntered up to the counter and reached for one of the better looking cookies on Izuku's tray. His newfound confidence from having won the bets against Sero and Tokoyami, was urging him to try a cookie.

The second Kaminari Denki's teeth bit into the cookie, he saw his life flash before his eyes and dropped the cookie with a scream muffled by his mouthful cookie. Tears sprung to his eyes and he sprinted to the nearest trashcan, gagging and sputtering.

"Kaminari-kun?!" Midoriya's concerned voice cut through the air and Kaminari turned around with tear filled eyes to face the green haired teenager.

"You! You were trying to kill me!" He pointed an accusing finger at Midoriya, who frantically tried to defend himself. A sudden urge to retch overcame Kaminari and he turned back to lean over the trashcan, heaving loudly. Jiro and Kirishima appeared beside him, the former laughing her head off at his misfortune and the latter rubbing his back comfortingly.

"What did you put in the cookies Midoriya? I've never seen him like this." Tokoyami asked and leaned over the counter to inspect the frantic boy's craft. Retching sounds could be heard in the background, and poor Izuku was on the verge of a meltdown.

"I just followed the recipe, I swear!" Midoriya all but shrieked from panic. His gaze kept jumping between the retching Kaminari and the innocent-looking cookies on the counter. Iida had gotten up from the floor and was looking apprehensively at the remaining cookies.

Todoroki did something that was both brave and incredibly stupid. He picked up one of Midoriya's and took a bite out of it, before he started chewing it. Everyone in the room fell silent as Torodoki's taste buds were assaulted and he started turning blue. Iida reacted instantly and fetched a glass of water before reaching Todoroki's side. Izuku put his head between his hands with the realization that he had poisoned two of his friends! He was a horrible human!

"Todoroki-kun spit it out!" Iida shouted and grabbed hold of Todoroki who was stumbling backwards arms flailing. With immense difficulty, Todoroki swallowed and coughed for twenty seconds straight. Iida never let go of his arms, but his worry increased when he felt Todoroki's ribcage shaking from the force of his coughing. Izuku was reaching his hands out towards the ice user, when muttering could be heard from his classmates.

"Apparently Midoriya poisoned both Kaminari and Todoroki." The freckled boy turned sideways and watched as his friends cautiously stepped back when he looked over.

"M-midoriya. Did the recipe say to put in 150 grams of salt?" Todoroki asked as he heaved. Izuku could barely hear him in his frenzy. Salt? Had he used salt instead of sugar? Dread filled him as he looked over at the counter where he had measured out his ingredients. The bowl of sugar he had put to the side had remained to the side, and he had accidentally grabbed a bowl of salt someone had left out, no wonder his cookies nearly killed his classmates.

"I am so sorry!" He cried and bowed in apology forty times in a row, faster than anyone could follow. His classmates were impressed that he didn't give himself a concussion.

"I know where you sleep, Midoriya…" Kaminari whispered his ominous threat and glared at Izuku over his shoulder, still hunched over the trashcan. A chill ran down Izuku's spine and he hurriedy turned away, muttering reassurances to himself.

"Todoroki-kun, you should drink this!" Iida instructed and shoved the newly fetched glass of milk into his hands, while Kirishima offered a similar glass to Kaminari.

"I'm fine. I think Midoriya is broken, though." They both watched as Midoriya hugged himself close and stared in horror at his cookies, whipping up a mutter storm.

"Midoriya-kun, snap out of it!" Iida strode over to the panicking boy and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him enough to bring him out of his stupor. After a few minutes of calming everyone down, Iida stepped back to Todoroki and put a hand on his shoulder with a serous expression on his face.

"Todoroki-kun, it seems we have all failed in our attempt to bake cookies. In times like this, it is important to learn from our failure and reflect on what to do from here on out. In this case, the only option is to call an expert. Midoriya-kun, go ahead." Iida nodded in Midoriya's direction. He had pulled out his phone with a shaking hand and dialed the number of their savior.

There was nothing else that could be done.

* * *

 **I had so much fun writing this! I love the Todo-Mido-Iida trio to bits and wanted to give them more screentime. Who caught my HP reference near the ending? :p Stay tuned for the salvation of these poor sould next week! (=w=)/**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Okay, two of you actually guessed who the savior is - one of you was more right than the other! You feedback is amazing guys, and you always make my day! And now for some shameless self-promo: I published a story I've been working on for three years called Weeping Waters, so if you are a fan of Fairy Tail, like pirates or just want to help a girl out, go check out my new story! Enjoy!**

* * *

When Midoriya had called him and asked him to help out, Sato had not expected to see the mess before his eyes. Midoriya usually didn't call him directly, opting for text messages instead, but seeing the degree of chaos in the dorm kitchen made Sato happy Midoriya had called promptly. Somehow the top students of class 1A had managed to turn the kitchen into a warzone – casualties included – and completely ruined three batches of cookies.

"What happened?" The baking enthusiast asked apprehensively as Iida tended to Todoroki and Kaminari, handing them glasses upon glasses of milk. Batter was smeared all over the surface of the counter the three boys had been working on and in some places it was caked with flour.

"Sato-kun! Thank you for coming so swiftly, it seems that we were unsuccessful in baking and could really use your expertise and guidance!" The class representative shouted in his usual boisterous manner and adjusted his glasses, effectively wiping flour across his cheek.

"How did you mess up so badly? What even are these?" Rikido had made his way to the counter and picked up one of Todoroki's gigantic flat discs that bent on the middle where his fingers were.

"My cookies." Todoroki offered as an explanation, not catching the rhetorical question.

"Didn't you follow the recipe?" Sato heaved a sigh. He would have to teach them how to make proper cookie dough and he was almost certain it was going to end badly.

"We did, but somehow each batch turned out to have a different problem." Midoriya finally came forth, having been hiding in the background. He kept throwing nervous glances over his shoulder towards Kaminari, who was surprisingly quiet, but observing Midoriya's every move. Sato didn't even want to know.

"If you clean up you messes, I'll show you how to make proper cookies." Sato steeled his resolve and decided to make it his mission to teach his classmates the art of baking.

"Understood! Todoroki-kun, help has arrived! Let us take this opportunity to absorb as much knowledge as we possibly can and improve our technique!" Iida's motivational speech made Ashido, Kirishima and Sero snort with laughter. Leave it to Iida to get pumped up over baking. Sato ushered the onlookers out of the kitchen, not wanting them to disturb his lesson.

"I also wanted to learn and improve my technique!" Ashido complained as she was pushed along by Sero, who had had enough fun for the day. Jiro, Kaminari and Kirishima also followed, talking amongst themselves.

"You just want to watch them mess up and you already know how to bake. Don't you have to finish our math homework?" Sato waited patiently for the pink-haired girl to move along.

"But math is so boring!" She mumbled and let herself be guided by the tape user, only once dropping backwards with all her weight so Sero nearly dropped her.

"Yes, yes, I know. You _hate_ math and want to do something fun instead." Sero huffed as he struggled to pull Ashido upright. She stopped fighting him and stood up on her own feet, complaining the rest of the way to the sofas.

"Alright, are you ready?" Sato smiled inwardly at Ashido's antics, but turned around and addressed his classmates with a serious expression. All three nodded and Rikido started explaining the process to them.

* * *

"Why? How could this happen? They followed the recipe…" Sato mumbled and put his head in his hands, not wanting to accept reality.

"I'm sorry Sato-kun, even after you helped us, we still messed up." Midoriya apologized for the umpteenth time. The poor boy had done everything he could to ensure that he followed the recipe, but had somehow ended up with something entirely inedible. Todoroki and Iida hadn't been able to salvage their cookies either.

"Maybe I'm cursed." Todoroki's eyes narrowed when he looked over his tray of burnt crisps. Had he done something to upset the Baking Gods since he couldn't manage to even make one decent cookie?

"Nonsense! You did your best, Todoroki-kun. Next time, they'll turn out better!" Iida's hands were swinging wildly as he tried to cheer up his solemn friend, who glared silently at the burnt cookies.

"I don't understand how it could go so wrong… This is a disaster" Sato was taking deep breaths to calm down. Every time he looked out from the gap between his fingers, his eyes landed on the wasteland that had once been a kitchen.

Rods of ice were lodged onto the walls from where Todoroki had been startled by a loud timer. Iida had managed to break a rolling pin and wooden splinters littered the counter. And Midoriya, poor, unfortunate Midoriya with the grace of a sea slug had tripped four times, ripped open a bag of flour by accident and dropped eggs on the floor. He had even burned his fingers on the edge of his baking tray because he forgot his mitt next to his mixing bowls.

"I could always just buy some premade ones for my mother." Todoroki moved away from his tray and stopped next to Midoriya, a tiny frown on his face.

"Absolutely not!" Iida's hands shot right up and down one at a time, before he cleared his throat and continued in a much calmer manner.

"You can't give up just yet. We still have ingredients left to make another batch each, so we should just try one more time." The class president pointed to the leftover sugar and butter on the counter beside him.

"Iida-kun is right. I think you should try one more time, it'll definitely make your mother happy." Midoriya put a hand on Todoroki's shoulder and noticed with great relief that the frown on his face disappeared and was replaced with his small, rare smile.

"Alright." He replied softly, earning a bright smile from Izuku.

"Alright, let's get to it!" Iida had just turned around when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, effectively stopping his movements. Iida froze in place when he heard the ungodly sound that came from Sato. Dark waves of ominous aura started rolling off the usually kind boy and the three boys could have sworn they saw his eyes glowing red.

"No… You'll burn down the kitchen… I absolutely forbid you from staying here one moment longer!" Sato growled from deep within his throat and his muscles rippled beneath his t-shirt. Iida was convinced he could hear his flesh sizzling underneath the demon's claws and swallowed anxiously, suddenly reconsidering his plan.

"S-sato-kun I promise we'll be careful!" Midoriya stepped forward slowly with both his hands up, much like he would approach a wild animal. His silhouette seemed to grow bigger and darker by the second, making all three boys shift nervously.

"No, you'll get out as soon as you've cleaned up." Venom started dripping from Sato's newly sprouted fangs and Todoroki shifted his stance into a defensive one, feeling his right side emanate cold at the sight of the threat. Midoriya's hand shot back and grabbed hold of his wrist to stop him from moving.

"Okay, we'll clean up and go." He promised. The second the words left Midoriya's mouth, Sato's demon-like appearance disappeared and he returned to his usual bulky self – but entirely human. He let go of Iida's shoulder and his eyes held no trace of whatever evil spirit had momentarily possessed him.

The three boys exchanged glances and watched as Sato started putting things away. Aside from one regretful look and heavy sigh directed at the offending cookies, his actions were completely normal. His voice had also gone back to normal and his body had shrunk back to its usual size.

"Something wrong?" He raised a brow when he noticed his classmates observing him wordlessly. His words startled them all out of whatever trance they were in. They had probably eaten too much cookie dough and were feeling sick now. Even Iida, who was usually loud and energetic, had been observing him silently. They all looked like they had seen a ghost or something.

"Nothing! Nothing at all! We're good!" Midoriya's rushed reply drowned out Todoroki's curt one and Iida's loud one.

"Okay, let's finish cleaning up then." Sato replied and went back to picking up dirty bowls and depositing in the sink to rinse them off. Humming a tune to himself, he started washing the dishes and the three boys behind him slowly came back to life and started cleaning the counters. Once they finished, they silently left the kitchen and headed for the doors that led outside.

"I am not sure what we saw back there was true or not, but whatever it was, we should never speak of it again lest it come back." Iida quietly said once the doors had closed behind them. The class president suppressed the shiver that ran through his body and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Agreed." Midoriya mumbled and looked over his shoulder, expecting the demon to rush out and chase them.

"Maybe we should carry around Midoriya's salty cookies to ward off any evil spirits." Todoroki suggested and tried to forget about the _thing_ that had possessed their classmate. Sato must really be passionate about baking, Shoto thought to himself.

"What do we do now that Sato-kun has banned us from the kitchen?" Midoriya frowned and looked around him for a moment while the others thought of a solution.

"Should we perhaps borrow the home economics kitchen at campus? Or maybe sign up for a cooking class?" Iida suggested right away and looked up at his two friends. Todoroki looked impassive, so he hadn't outright rejected the idea and Midoriya's brows were scrunched together in thought, which both boys noticed.

"Midoriya?" Todoroki asked after a few moments of silence. The green-haired boy perked up at his name being called. His features relaxed and he let a smile form on his face as he pulled out his cell phone once more.

"I know what to do." He smiled mischievously.

* * *

"Sorry to spring this on you at such short notice, Midoriya-san! Thank you so much for having us!" Iida bowed deeply and came face to face with a kitten, who stared right back up at him.

"Thank you for having us." Todoroki bowed too and watched as Midoriya's mother's features softened. The resemblance between mother and son was striking, but something about Midoriya-san's expression and focused gaze made his cheeks heat up. The kitten at his feet meowed loudly and caught his attention.

"It's my pleasure. Now come inside." Inko gestured to her son and both of his friends, her heart soaring with happiness over Izuku bringing home more friends. Iida straightened up and took off his shoes before following the Midoriya's inside, Todoroki right behind him and the kitten right at his heels.

"I'll make some tea and then we can get started on the cookies." She smiled at the three boys behind her, her son taking the lead and showing his friends around.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Iida beamed at her, excited that someone was willing to teach him the art of baking despite his misfortune earlier that day.

"This way." Midoriya guided them to the dining table and seated them while Inko headed for the kitchen to start boiling water. Once the tea was coming along, she returned to the dining table and sat down beside Izuku, who was telling them something about his favorite food. Inko watched with loving eyes as her only son beamed at his friends and was impressed by how natural their interaction with each other was.

"So this is the Iida-kun and Todoroki-kun I've heard so much about." She stated and took in both the boys. Iida was the biggest of them and his appearance was pristine. Todoroki was a little quieter than the other two, but his eyes were alert and focused at all times. Coco had jumped onto his lap as soon as he had sat down and was snoozing away peacefully.

"Yeah." Izuku smiled happily glad to have his friends in his home. As they sat by the dining table, Izuku realized how little he had seen of them recently and he was grateful Todoroki had approached them to help him.

"I watched you in the sports festival! You've been working hard both of you." Inko smiled kindly and got up once again to get the tea that had finished brewing. What she didn't notice was how both boys fell silent at her praise. Iida smiled shyly and Todoroki felt his cheeks flush again. He wasn't used to how softly and kindly Inko spoke and it was sort of unnerving to him.

"As heroes we have to constantly strive to do better!" Iida brightened up when she returned at put a steaming mug of tea in front of him. Izuku nodded his head furiously in agreement and Shoto looked down at the sleeping cat on his lap.

"I'm sure you'll become a very dependable hero, Iida-kun." Inko laughed a little at his optimistic attitude. From what she had heard from Izuku, Iida was from a family of heroes and took the profession very seriously.

"How are your studies going? Are you prepared for the provisional license exam, Todoroki-kun?" Inko addressed the quiet boy she had come to know as Endeavor's youngest son. Izuku always spoke so highly of him, but Inko could see the walls he had built around his heart at a glance. She could also see how Izuku and Iida had chipped away at his defenses and tried her best not to overwhelm him.

"It's still a little ways off, so I have a lot of time to prepare." He answered and tried not to shrink under her gaze. Inko saw how guarded his eyes were when he spoke and wanted him to feel at ease around her, so she increased her motherly doting. It had always worked on Izuku, so chances were that it would work on his friend as well.

"I'm sure you'll do well! Izuku has told me how hard you work every day to keep up your training and studies. You've worked really hard." She reached over and patted his hand affectionately. She had only seen this boy on the TV during the sports festival, but he seemed so different from the boy who had gone up against his son in the tournament. Inko glanced at Iida and noticed how he also seemed to have matured since then, and she decided she wanted them both to be happy.

There was something about Todoroki's caution that made her want to dote on him and praise him. Coco hadn't even given the two boys a second glance and now lay curled up on the heterochromic teenager's lap.

"Thank you." Inko saw a hint of a smile on his face and discreetly glanced over at her son, who was watching his dual-quirk wielding friend intently. Izuku hadn't outright told her what Todoroki's situation was, but she could almost guess how much pressure he faced from being the son of a famous hero. She knew that he had a rivalry going with Izuku, but they seemed to be on very good terms, so she could perhaps do something about his apprehensiveness. Maybe he wasn't used to being around women? Izuku had told her over the phone that Todoroki wanted to bake for his mother and she faintly remembered hearing something about his mother being ill.

Shaking her head clear of the many thoughts, Inko watched as the three boys spoke among themselves and finished off her tea. Entering the kitchen again, she was determined to teach the boys how to make the best cookies ever.

* * *

 **How could you do this to me Horikoshi? How could you end the previous chapter on that note? I refuse to believe it. At least the Eri arc is coming to an end, so now I can let my children suffer from canon... hehe... So the lighthearted chapters end next week and we all get aboard the angst-train again, buckle up! (=w=)/**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Holy crap, I just realized it was already chapter 19 and we haven't even caught up to the manga yet. We will next week, though. Enjoy!**

* * *

It had taken the better part of the evening for Inko to teach the boys all her tips and tricks. They were all very attentive when she spoke and Iida asked many questions along the way. Izuku seemed to be having a good time and Inko loved how he scrunched up his nose when his friends made him laugh.

There had been something different about her son the past few times he had visited her and she hadn't yet succeeded in pinpointing what it was. Obviously she hadn't seen much of how he interacted with his peers due to his shy nature and poor social skills growing up, but he seemed to have matured too fast over the past few months. Izuku had always been quiet until topics he was passionate about were broached, but this current Izuku kept everything to himself and tried not to burden others, which meant that he wasn't relying on them.

That, Inko realized, was what had been different about him. He didn't rely on her as much, because he was growing up and learning how to handle his life on his own and it suddenly struck her just how much she missed her son. For a long time, Inko gazed at him and tried to drink in his appearance and his small antics and it wasn't until he called out to her that she snapped back to reality.

"Mom, look! They turned out perfect!" He proudly showed her a near perfect cookie and she had to suck in a breath to avoid tearing up. Steeling herself mentally, she slapped on a smile and turned her attention toward the three boys eagerly awaiting her assessment.

"That's great honey." She replied and inspected it briefly, before nodding and watching Izuku beam with pride. In that instance he had reminded him of a much younger version of himself, but he lacked his childish innocence and glee. Instead, he was all harsh lines and sharper features. He had gotten taller over the past year, almost towering over Inko now and he had slowly filled out as he gained more muscle mass. His eyes had lost some of their sparkle and sometimes a dark shadow overcame them.

' _He is a young man now.'_ Inko realized the bittersweet truth and her heart broke a little.

"I wonder if they are edible." Izuku mumbled and turned to exchange glances with Iida and Todoroki, whose expressions turned grim. Inko looked on curiously, not knowing why they looked so grave.

"We should probably try them before serving them for anyone else." Iida looked at the cookie apprehensively, but decided to bite the bullet and reach for one. Todoroki made an agreeing sound as he also grabbed a cookie of his own and on the count of three, the trio bit into them. A few seconds passed in silence and when no one started gagging, Iida and Izuku let out a breath of relief.

"How are they?" Inko asked, confused that they looked so relieved. Izuku had never hesitated to bite into anything that came out of the oven, seeing him hesitate that much only perplexed her.

"Wonderful." Todoroki smiled and the entire room seemed to be bathed in soft, golden light. Izuku and Iida looked at each other and then at their friend, sporting identical grins. Inko couldn't help but also smile at the three teenagers standing in front of her.

"You look so handsome when you smile, Todoroki-kun." She remarked and watched as the young man stiffened. Two seconds passed before his eyes widened, his face flushed and his left side burst into flames while the right half froze the cookie in his hand.

"Todoroki-kun, get a hold of yourself! You shouldn't use your quirk carelessly!" Iida scolded right away and took a step back to avoid getting burned.

"Mom, I think you broke Todoroki-kun." Izuku wanted to laugh, but one glance at his bashful friend and he bit back the laughter threatening to spill over his lips.

"I'm sorry." Inko smiled and the mirth in her eyes betrayed her apology.

* * *

They had stayed for another hour at the Midoriya residence, before making their way back to the dorm. The trio had spent time with Inko-san and eaten a dozen cookies each, while a good portion had been saved as a reference for the boys. For now, Todoroki would bring his mother the cookies he had baked with his friends and at some point – not unsupervised – he would attempt to bake on his own again.

On the way back they had been talking about the upcoming term and the field training they would be doing, when all of a sudden they had reached campus. It wasn't long before they could see the door that led into their dorm, but Todoroki slowed to a stop as they approached the building.

"Midoriya." He called out to his freckled friend and looked up when Izuku turned around.

"What is it?" He asked curiously. Todoroki had warmed up to him and Iida considerably, but in this very moment, all of his relaxed posture had disappeared and he stood

"I want to marry your mom."

"…"

"Todoroki-kun, you can't just announce that all of a sudden! You have to court her first and then ask for her hand like a proper gentleman, not claim her like a savage." Iida shook his head and adjusted his glasses when they slipped down the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, but wouldn't that make me Midoriya's father?" Todoroki put his head to the side and observed Izuku for a few seconds, before nodding and continuing to walk towards the door.

"You're too young to be a father, Todoroki-kun. You still need to finish your education and become a licensed pro." The class representative reminded him brightly and started walking as well. He looked back over his shoulder when he had walked a few meters, once he noticed that Midoriya wasn't following or saying anything at all. He was frozen to the spot where he had stopped up and didn't seem to be breathing.

Alarmed, Iida sprinted back and saw with great relief that his freckled friend was indeed breathing, but had trouble processing the conversation they had just had. He kept muttering the word 'father' over and over again and was slightly shaking all over his body.

"Midoriya-kun, breathe! It was just a joke." Iida put his hands on Izuku's shoulders and shook him gently.

"No, I'm serious." Todoroki had stopped walking when Iida ran back and was waiting for them to catch up to him. He saw Midoriya pale and wondered what he had said wrong.

"I think I need some air…" Midoriya mumbled and turned away, weakly walking toward a nearby bench.

"We'll head back then." Iida threw him a worried glance, but figured he wasn't in any sort of danger and needed to recover from the shock of potentially becoming Todoroki's adoptive son sometime in the future. Tenya could see why Todoroki had taken a liking to Midoriya's mother and wholeheartedly supported the ice user, but very wisely kept his mouth shut as to not spook the poor boy further.

Izuku had been sitting on the bench for a few minutes when he heard someone approaching. He had been able to clear his head a little and had started thinking about it rationally. Todoroki was still a minor and hence wouldn't be able to marry for a few more years. The light footsteps almost fell on deaf ears as Izuku was busy trying to convince himself it wouldn't happen.

"Deku-kun?" Uraraka came to a halt in front of him and watched as he lifted his head from his hands and looked at her with something close to fear. It disappeared quickly when he realized he wasn't alone any longer and he sobered up.

"Uraraka-san! It's been a while. How did your internship go?" He asked, still feeling lightheaded. He hadn't seen the brunette the past few days, but he remembered that she had been scheduled to go to Ryukyu's office that day.

"It went well, we were out patrolling today. Do you mind if I sit?" She asked and gestured to the spot next to him. Izuku shook his head and scooted over so she could sit easily.

"I, uh, have a favor to ask of you." Uraraka began nervously kicking her feet back and forth and chanced a glance at her friend. He was looking like himself aside from his hair being a little more disheveled than usual, but his eyes were attentive and locked onto hers.

Ochaco hadn't outright been avoiding Midoriya this past week, but she admitted that she hadn't gone out of her way to see him, reason being that she had been thinking about their conversation in his room the whole week. The brunette had finally decided that she was going to call her parents and tell them about her nightmares. She had called them frequently, like they had asked her to do, but she had always kept it short and never let them catch on.

"Uraraka-san?" Midoriya's hand on her wrist woke her up and she took a deep breath. She could do this.

"I've decided to call my parents about my nightmares." Ochaco felt a weight drop from her shoulders when she finally said the words out loud and she actually felt a little silly for not making that decision ages ago.

"That's great!" Midoriya's face brightened and he quickly grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before pulling back, but Uraraka's hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve, her eyes downcast.

"I'm nervous…" She admitted and looked away, biting down on her lower lip. Now she was feeling stupid for not having the courage to pick up the phone and call her parents.

"What's wrong?" Midoriya's gentle tone made her lift her eyes to meet his and when she saw nothing but concern in his forest green eyes, she sighed and closed her eyes momentarily.

"I just feel so stupid." She whispered and laughed when he looked outraged.

"Why? You shouldn't feel stupid at all!" Izuku protested and straightened in his seat. Why was she feeling stupid for building up the courage to confront her fear?

"I know it's silly, but I can't help but feel that I should be able to take care of this on my own. That's why I wanted to ask you a favor." She trailed off and looked at where her fingers were gripping the fabric of his sleeve. In all honesty, Ochaco wanted nothing more than to borrow his grey hoodie again and burrow into it, disappearing out of sight for a while, but she knew she had put the phone call off for long enough.

"What is it?" He asked gently and scooted a little closer. He could feel the nervous energy rolling off her in waves and noticed that her feet now were firmly planted on the ground.

"Will you stay with me while I call them?" There. She asked him. Ochaco squeezed her eyes shut and wanted to hide her embarrassment, but there was no hiding from Deku when he could see right through her.

"Of course." His words were said so softly, Ochaco wasn't sure she had actually heard them. When she opened her eyes again and looked at him, she only saw the pillar of support she had come to see him as and she felt her heart flutter from his close proximity and focused gaze. He was waiting for her like always, never rushing her.

Gratitude welled up in her as she realized once again how much he had already done for her and was still doing. Deku never asked for anything in return, and in her heart Ochaco hoped that she would be able to show him the same kind of support that he had shown her over the past two months.

Taking a few deep breaths, Ochaco pulled out her phone from her pocket and flipped up the screen. Scrolling down her list of contacts, she pulled up her father's number even though she knew it by heart. For a few agonizing moments, she just stared at his contact picture and dragged out the inevitable, but before her resolve completely crumbled, she pushed the call button and put the phone to her ear.

Once the rhythmic beeping in her ear could be heard, she sucked in a breath and waited for her father to pick up. If she was lucky, her mother was also nearby and she would get ahold of them both at the same time. At some point while she had mustered up the courage to press the call button, her hand had found Deku's and she looked over at him just as the beeping stopped and her call was picked up on the other end.

The smile he sent her assured her that she would be okay and she believed it.

* * *

 **Okay, a little on the short hand and perhaps a little rushed, but the plot is finally moving. Soon I will reveal what I have in mind for class 1A, but until then you'll have to stay tuned. Thanks for all the love so far (=w=)/**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I apologize for being a day late on top of missing an update. It's been a shitty few weeks, but now I'm doing a little better. Please notice that I've made a mistake when referring to the internships. It is actually on Midoriya's first day that he encounters Overhaul, but I have changed it so that he has been to Nighteye's office a handful of times already. Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!**

* * *

"Hi mom, how are you?" Ochaco started out when her mother picked up. Her father hadn't been able to attend her call, so the brunette had tried to reach her mother's cell phone instead.

"I'm fine honey, how are you?" Hearing her mother's voice filled her with a sense of calm that she hadn't thought possible. They talked for a few minutes about this and that until Ochaco's father could be heard in the background.

"Is Dad back? Yeah, put him on speaker. There's something I've been meaning to tell you both." Ochaco felt Deku's grip tighten on her fingers as she started telling her parents about the very first nightmare she had had.

She spoke and spoke and poured her heart out to her parents, revealing all the fears she had been keeping to herself for the past month or so. Time had started feeling like an abstract concept to her. She didn't feel the effect of time on a day to day basis, but every now and then she would realize how fast time passed and it would shake her to her roots. Right now, she had no idea that she had been on the phone for half an hour already and that it had started getting cold around her. She had noticed Midoriya's warm fingers wrapped around her free hand and she turned to him with a watery smile and squeezed his hand gratefully and he returned her smile.

"Oh my god Ochaco, why didn't you tell us? I'm so sorry we didn't pick up on it earlier, you must have felt so alone." Her mother's voice shook next to her ear and the brunette had to inhale deeply and exhale slowly to keep herself from freaking out.

"Honey I want you to know that your mother and I are so proud of you. I'm happy you told us how bad it's been and I want you to know that we have your back. Don't worry about how your problems will affect us, _rely on us_. We are your parents and we love you so, so much." Her father piped in as well and only someone as close to him as his daughter would hear the pleading in his words. _We want you to depend on us._

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner…" Ochaco trailed off, feeling every bit the small girl she had always been in front of her parents. A part of her felt ashamed that she hadn't been honest with her parents, but the more logical part of her mind reminded her how hard it had been to open up in the first place and her eyes once again sought the person she had come to seek comfort from.

Deku's attention was on the sky where the evening sun was slowly fading, but his body was turned towards her. His jacket had been left open and the shirt he was wearing underneath didn't seem that thick. His face was tilted up and he had a faraway look in his eyes as he watched the sky darken. In the back of her mind, Ochaco filed away the image for later inspection and just marveled at how this kind boy had become a constant part of her daily life.

"Don't apologize Ochaco." Her mother chided gently. The brunette had almost forgotten that she was still on the phone with her parents, she had been that distracted by the quiet boy next to her.

"It's getting late honey, you should go and finish your homework. Promise us you will go see the school counselor ASAP?" Her father asked. He didn't sound commanding, but there was a hint of sternness in his voice that Ochaco didn't miss. Since she had already promised Midoriya to see the counselor, she might as well promise her parents the same thing.

"Of course. I'll talk to you soon, bye." She bid them both good night before ending the call and staring at the display of her phone for a few seconds, not actually believing she had done it. Her ear felt hot from having the phone pressed to it for half an hour and there was a slight ringing, but she couldn't hear the deafening turmoil inside her any longer.

"Are you okay?" Deku wasn't looking at the sky any longer, but had shifted his focus to her. His voice had startled her out of her trance at first, but Ochaco found herself smiling at him. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and her heart felt so light that she was afraid she would float away, but she just couldn't stop smiling.

"Uraraka-san, you're floating." Midoriya pointed out and tugged at her hand which was still grasped in his own.

"Oh." She hadn't realized she was actually floating, so she flailed her arms around a little before Midoriya chuckled and pulled her back down on the bench. Once she was seated, her own laughter escaped her and she took a minute to get her giggling under control.

"I just feel so light now." She explained after their chuckles had died down.

"I'm glad you got it all off your chest." Deku nodded and leaned back on the bench. It had started to get colder now, but the cool and crisp air felt refreshing to him. He looked once again at the fading light from the sun and relished the sight.

"You've been staring at the sky for a long time." The brunette pointed out and tried to follow his line of sight. Of course, the sky was beautiful, but there must have been something special there to have captivated Deku.

"I like the night. It is darkness that makes the day seem so bright." Izuku explained thoughtfully. He had always liked to watch sunsets. Not only were they beautiful, but they were also great metaphors for never losing hope even in the darkest of times. Ochaco regarded him for a few moments, stunned into silence, and then she promptly burst out laughing.

"Sorry, Deku-kun! It sounded like something straight from a book." The brunette wiped away tears of mirth and apologized some more when he looked embarrassed. Maybe Midoriya should have a shot at writing? Ochaco could just picture him hunched over his notebooks, tugging at a lock of hair as he tried translating images in his minds into words on the paper.

"I didn't mean to sound so cheesy." He rubbed his head sheepishly. He hadn't realized that it might have sounded corny, but he wasn't particularly offended that she found it funny. Actually, as he looked up and into her eyes, he was rather glad she was laughing at the same things she did months before.

"Are you cold?" Izuku asked when he noticed her nose had turned a little read and tiny puffs of air became visible when she breathed.

"No? Only my left hand." Uraraka wiggled her fingers experimentally and Izuku realized that she had been holding her phone in her left hand as she spoke with her parents. It took him a few seconds to realize that her right hand wasn't cold because he was still holding it and of course, all the blood in his body decided to flood his cheeks upon the realization.

Izuku froze and tried his best not to catch her attention as he tried to figure out how to best remove his hand. Could he just let go or was that too rude when he had been the one to take the initiative? Was she even aware that they were still holding hands? And was it bothering her and she was choosing not to address it to spare his feelings? Or hadn't she realized yet? Izuku's head started spinning and his cheeks were still burning. This was the longest time they had held hands time and the poor boy feared that his hand was all clammy and gross.

"Are you okay? Your face is kind of red." Uraraka's question brought him out of his spiraling thoughts and he looked up to nod furiously. What was he even going to tell her?

He didn't want her to misunderstand him, but at the same time he was getting embarrassed for no reason. It was fine to hold your friend's hand when they needed support, right? Then why did it feel like he wasn't supposed to keep holding on to her now that she was done talking to her parents. It was then that Izuku realized he actually didn't want to let go. Shifting slightly on the bench so that he was facing her more, he looked at her for a few seconds trying to gather his thoughts. His grip on her hand loosened slightly, but he didn't quite let go.

"Deku-kun, you're acting kind of funny." The brunette turned her head sideways and observed him once more. He had been quiet throughout her phone call, but now he was acting strange. Had she said something to upset him? Maybe he had wanted to go back inside and not sit outside for half an hour, but had been too nice to say something. She hoped that wasn't the case, because she had been extremely grateful that he had been willing to stay outside with her.

"O-our hands." He mumbled and looked down. Perplexed, Ochaco followed suit and looked down to see their hands clasped together. Then it made sense to her why he was acting strange, he was embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't realize…" Ochaco made to retract her hand, but Midoriya's fingers wrapped around hers once more and he turned beet red.

"N-no! I, err, is… is this okay?" Izuku managed to get the words past his lips and peeked up at the brunette from beneath his bangs. Her cheeks flushed when she realized if it was okay to keep holding hands and she wished she could hide her face from view. Instead, she scooted closer and entwined their fingers, nodding mutely. Both teenagers were too embarrassed to say something, but words weren't actually needed. Something had shifted between them and they had both felt it.

As they sat, Ochaco peeked at the freckled boy next to her and quickly looked away when he caught her in the act. What she didn't know was that he too, had been looking at her every now and then, wanting to say something, but not being brave enough to shatter the fragile silence between them. Izuku didn't want it to be awkward between them and as he built up courage to tell her that she could let go if she wanted to, she beat him to the punch and spoke.

"It feels nice." She whispered. Deku's hand was warm against her skin and she quite enjoyed it. Whenever he moved, she could feel his calloused skin shift against her and it made her realized that it was yet another proof of how hard he always worked. His scars from Recovery Girl's healing stood white against his skin and reminded him of all the hardships he had endured to get this far.

"Yes." He breathed and cautiously squeezed her hand. He couldn't believe it. He was holding hands with a girl, with _Uraraka_. Izuku wouldn't in a million years have thought he would have the courage to actually hold hands with her in a more than platonic way.

"I-" She never got to complete whatever she had started saying, because her phone chimed with a new message for her. Tsuyu had texted her asking where she was and if she was going to come inside for dinner.

"Tsuyu-chan is asking if I am coming inside." The brunette told him as she put her phone back into her pocket. She looked up at him, expecting him to be disappointed at the prospect of getting up. Instead, Deku looked content and smiled at her shyly.

"We should probably head back." He replied and gave her hand one last squeeze before pulling back. Once he got up, he waited for her to follow and started trekking back to the dorm. He had only made it a few meters when Uraraka tapped him on the shoulder and embraced him once he turned around.

"Thank you for always supporting me." For reasons unknown to her, she put her arms around his neck and squeezed him closer, not knowing that she had short-circuited him with her surprise hug-attack. Pulling back she saw smoke billowing from his ears and the top of his head.

"Deku-kun?" She waved a hand in front of his face a few times but got no response from him. Maybe he hadn't been ready for her to show that much gratitude and actually felt bad for him when she remembered how bad he was with physical contact.

Midoriya eventually regained control of his limbs and started moving forward stiffly at first, and then relaxed when his brain started functioning again. Ochaco followed along in amusement watching as he whispered to himself and violently shook his head before continuing towards the doors. Maybe she should try hugging him when he was mentally prepared and see how he would react then.

She never got around to it. The following day, Midoriya had been called by Nighteye's office and had been gone for the day. Ochaco didn't see him at the dorm after school and had half a mind to text him, but decided against it since it had been his first day out on patrol with Togata-senpai. He was either too tired to socialize or was busy writing notes on his mentor and the other heroes he had worked with.

"Uraraka-kun, have you seen Midoriya-kun today?" Iida had come up to her after dinner when she was on the way back to her room. He had been waiting for his green-haired friend to show up and tell him about his first day, but had not seen any trace of him.

"No, I haven't. I think he went straight to his room, so he might be studying or sleeping." She explained to Iida, who nodded in agreement. They debated whether or not to go check on him, but decided to give him some space and wait until the following day.

"How do you find working with Ryukyu?" The class president asked as they headed for the elevator to go to their respective rooms. He hadn't seen much of Uraraka as of late and wanted to catch up whenever he could outside of classes.

"It's exciting!" Ochaco started off and relayed to him some of the recent events before he reached his floor.

* * *

Izuku felt horrible. He had spent the past day wallowing in guilt and it just kept getting worse. He felt powerless, weak and inexperienced. How could he just sit idly by when a little girl was all alone and hurting? And everything he had found out about Togata being All Might's successor weighed heavy on his mind. He had actually considered skipping class, but figured he would want to stay focused on something other than the harsh truth he had just learned. Was he really worthy of being All Might's successor?

Coming to class might not have been the best decision after all. Izuku was distracted all day long and couldn't focus on anything. Aizawa-sensei even threatened to pull him out of the obstacle race if he couldn't pull himself together. Since his thoughts were all over the place with what-ifs and if-only, Izuku decided to seek out All Might and hear the whole story.

Izuku was frustrated. He was questioning his own capabilities and he couldn't help but compare himself to Togata. Would All Might still be the top hero if Togata had been his apprentice instead of Izuku? He had first-hand seen how strong and reliable his upperclassman was and how his smile never faltered. Maybe it was resolve and training Izuku lacked? Could he really become the next symbol of peace the way he was now? Izuku wanted so bad to be able to measure up to the former number one hero, but now he doubted himself more than ever.

Once they aspiring hero had been directed to All Might's location, he sped up not wanting to waste a second in reaching his mentor. He needed clarity and at this point All Might was probably the only one who could help him. Tracking down the hero was easier said than done. Once All Might's back came into view, a wave of emotions hit Izuku. He didn't know anything about his mentor. This man, who had carried the burden of everything on his shoulders for so long and by himself, was to this day an enigma, but now, Midoriya Izuku was determined to figure him out.

* * *

 **I know that both Ochaco and Izuku might have been a bit OOC, but sometimes things affected one's mental health makes people behave differently. A menial task i.e. a phone call can become something scary and huge, so getting it over with can also cause an enormous sense of relief. Also, how do you like Izuku's little advance? My boy will soon grow even more confident, just you wait... Lastly, I had initially wanted to include the whole confrontation with All Might in this chapter, but I think it's better to seperate it into two. Merry Christmas everyone! (=w=)/**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I. Am. Back! So sorry for my sudden absence, a lot of things happened this month! I've been swamped with finals and they didn't go as well as planned, so I had to spend a lot of time studying. I've been working a lot as well and there have been issues with my health, but I am okay now and back to regular weekly updates! Thank you for all the kind messages and the reviews. You guys kept me going through this hellish month, I appreciate it!**

 **This chapter refers to the manga's chapter 130ish, but I have made some changes to the dialogue and it is quite All Might-centric.**

* * *

Mustering the courage to ask All Might about the truth was much harder than Izuku had imagined. He saw his mentor jogging at a comfortable pace many meters away and faltered for a second. Was this really the right thing to do? Would All Might put his heart at ease or make matters worse? Izuku realized that a part of him dreaded hearing the former hero's answer, but en equally big part felt that there was little choice in the matter.

As he watched helplessly, the tiny dot that was All Might became increasingly smaller and to the aspiring hero, it felt like his hope slowly shriveling up and dying. He reached out a trembling hand to grasp the back of his idol, like he had done many times in the past, but this time the scars on his hands and forearms glared back at him, reminding him of his place with All Might. Clenching his fist, Izuku decided that he was going to catch up to his mentor after all. He couldn't stand not knowing how he fit into the picture. Had meeting All Might and being granted his wish to become a hero really been a mistake? He desperately needed to know. The power that coursed under his skin might have been meant for someone else, but it had been bestowed upon him by choice, right? Taking the deepest breath he could and exhaling slowly, Izuku stormed forward and reached All Might within seconds.

Izuku heard the former hero call out to him and announce his arrival in his typical boisterous manner, which lost some of its effect in his weaker form. Izuku's heart raced partly from running and partly from trepidation. He had to do this. He needed to know what he had been kept in the dark about.

"Did you know everything all along?" Izuku watched All Might's back for any reaction, but the former hero wasn't caught off guard by his question, even as the green-haired boy elaborated. Had the number one hero known about Nighteye's knowledge and about Togata being groomed to become the next holder of One for All? And if so, why had he never mentioned it?

Sweat was trickling down Izuku's temple and he could feel his shirt sticking to his back, but he matched All Might's pace as he waited for an answer. He hadn't, however, expected All Might to dodge his questions and stating that maybe Izuku should have been told after all – without even turning around. That hurt Izuku way more than simply answering yes would have.

Of course All Might would have known. He was directly involved and if his sidekick had his sights on a worthy successor, surely he would have told the former pro hero? Izuku felt despair all the way down into his core. He had been kept in the dark from the beginning and even now when he was uncovering the truth on his own, All Might still wasn't coming clean. He had a right to know dammit!

Izuku couldn't take it anymore. He felt like a child thrust into a world of secrets that he wouldn't ever have dreamed about. No one was telling him the truth and he was sick of playing this game. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. He hadn't realized that he had voiced everything out loud. How he couldn't understand his mentor's intentions, the murkiness in his head and his place in all of this. Even after Izuku's outburst All Might didn't turn around.

"I'm not saying this as your fan, I'm saying this as your successor! I want to know everything!" Izuku hated the desperation in his voice, but he couldn't keep it contained. He felt like a trapped animal and All Might possessed the key to his cage. The aspiring hero tried his best to control himself as he waited for a response from his mentor.

A few strides ahead of him All Might looked over his shoulder and for the first time today, really looked at his protégé. His eyes were met with the most troubled expression he had ever seen the boy wear. Toshinori had merely wanted to protect Midoriya. There was no reason for the poor boy to speculate on things from the past and he would without a doubt compare himself to his upperclassman with much more experience.

Seeing the pain he had caused Midoriya caused All Might's resolve to crumble. The boy was growing up right in front of his eyes and was on his way to becoming a great hero. Gone was the timid wimp whose eyes produced a terrifying amount of tears on the daily, and instead, here was a young man demanding to know what had transpired many years ago. Had Midoriya also gotten taller? Toshinori remembered him to be shorter than this and he felt a swell of pride at his successor's growth, which was immediately followed by a stab of guilt. This boy, who had given his everything to fulfill his dream and keep his promise to the former hero, was feeling unsure of himself and was asking for answers. It would be wrong to keep the truth from him All Might decided. He still wanted to protect Midoriya, but given the tiny flames of determination he had seen amongst his despair, Toshinori doubted that he would agree. Suppressing a sigh, All Might realized that he was becoming a softie.

"I figured telling you the story wouldn't benefit you at all, but do you really still want to hear it?" He could almost sense the change in Midoriya's demeanor before he replied.

"It'll benefit me a lot more than keeping it secret will!" The anguish in Midoriya's voice diminished and was replaced by his usual earnestness. The former hero could sense all the nervous tension in the boy disappear and marveled at how quickly he steeled himself.

"You better not regret it." All Might warned. He already knew what the freckled teen was going to say next and prepared himself to explain the events that happened six years prior.

"...I won't." Midoriya's voice didn't quiver, so Toshinori launched into his tale. He spoke of the time Nighteye became his side-kick, despite the memory now being bittersweet, and how their partnership came to an end. The memory of their argument still left a bitter taste in All Might's mouth, but far too much time had passed to make amends. At least that was what he told himself. A small part of All Might's mind was too stubborn to make up with his former sidekick, but Midoriya didn't need to know that.

The longer All Might spoke, the quieter the young boy grew until the former hero barely could hear his footsteps behind him. Toshinori had buried the memories deep in his heart and he felt sorry for Midoriya that he had to hear what Nighteye had predicted six years ago. Ironically, it was the easiest part to say, but when Midoriya slowed to a stop behind him, Toshinori felt the urge to pick up the pace and run to avoid seeing the sorrow on his protégé's face.

"All Might, you're… going to die…" Midoriya's broken whisper felt like a stab in the gut, but All Might couldn't turn around. He already knew what expression would be present on Midoriya's face and he dreaded seeing it. Instead, he continued his story and recalled the conversation he had had with Nighteye.

Toshinori understood where Nighteye was coming from. Being the symbol of peace was by no means a position anyone could claim. There had to be certain qualities present in the candidate, and although his former sidekick meant well, All Might had already seen all those qualities in young Midoriya, and the boy had won him over in a matter of moments. He had spirit, drive, strength and most importantly he had heart. Midoriya Izuku would become the greatest hero, far surpassing All Might himself – that was what Toshinori believed from the bottom of his heart.

"Wait a minute, All Might!" Gravel crunched under Midoriya's feet as he ran to catch up with All Might again. Nighteye's words were still resonating in Toshinori's mind and he almost missed Midoriya's questions about the foresight.

"When Nighteye used his foresight, when did he say it would happen? Can't it be changed anymore?" All Might almost chuckled at the question, but there was nothing humorous about the situation.

It was a fact plain as day that he was going to die within the next year and for some reason the thought didn't bother Toshinori as much as it should. Of course, he was worried about Midoriya not being ready to take up his mantle, but death didn't scare him. The desperation he could hear in Midoriya's voice, however, kept him from voicing his thoughts and he distracted himself by focusing on the boy behind him.

"In six or seven years. There's a margin of error in his estimation of far-off events, but there's no changing what he sees." All Might regretted telling Midoriya the time frame when his footsteps slowed to a halt behind the retired hero. He seemed crushed and Toshinori wanted nothing more than to cheer up his charge, but this was reality and no matter how harsh it was, Midoriya would have to accept it, so he bit the inside of his cheek and waited for his words to sink in. It took a few seconds before he muttered up a storm, which Toshinori now recognized as his coping mechanism and way of processing information.

"That means… either this year or the next, doesn't it…? You're kidding me… No, All Might, you have to live! Do you remember the promise I made at the sports festival? I haven't been able to fulfill it – you have to live until I can fulfill it!" Of course Toshinori remembered that promise.

It had been the biggest surge of pride he had felt when observing the aspiring hero and how he outmatched two of the best student's in his year using only his wits. How would he ever forget the moment when Izuku stood alone in the middle of the stadium and stared right up at him, screaming 'I am here' with every fiber of his being. That was the day All Might felt the young boy's immense power and determination. Now the same boy was shaking all over and his knees were threatening to buckle under the weight of the words he had heard.

"You have to live to see that moment, when I can tell the world 'I'm here!'" His cry cut right into All Might and he found himself slowing his pace to a stop. He didn't need to turn around to know that Midoriya's fists were clenched tightly and tears were glossing over his eyes. He didn't need to turn around to know that the boy was dead set on fulfilling his promise that he didn't realize how much he had already done. He needed to know how much he had already accomplished as All Might's student and as an upcoming hero.

"Midoriya, my boy. When I heard the foresight I accepted it relatively easily… because the goal was in sight, I ran at full speed towards it. When I fought All for one at Kamino, I thought _'Here is the goal'_ , but there you were. You, a timid, quirkless boy, who day after day rose to meet my expectations! And day after day I kept whispering to myself to keep on living." Toshinori turned around and saw how Midoriya's eyes welled up with tears at the memories. The very same memories replayed in the retired hero's mind: their first encounter, All Might's decision to transfer One for All to him, the training, U.A., all the countless times he had witnessed Midoriya drawing out his inner strength and using his power for good, all Midoriya's growth – everything flashed behind his eyes and he felt happiness at seeing that the boy had come directly to him for answers.

"And then your mom told me to live on and protect and nurture you, and even now I am clawing on! _You_ changed me! I am alive! And with this hand of mine, I will twist fate into whatever shape I like!" Even if he could only uphold his muscle form for a few moments, All Might knew how crucial it was to let Midoriya see his favorite hero still alive and kicking. He was still alive, but everything was turning out like Nighteye had foreseen, much to All Might's chagrin.

"But at this point, it's possible that it's too late to twist fate anymore." It was important to not get Midoriya's hopes up too much, but at least he wasn't looking crestfallen any longer. Instead, he seemed to be in deep thought judging from his frown and the crease between his brows. The way he was gazing at his palms told All Might everything he needed to know.

"…You still don't know whether or not the foresight has been changed." Midoriya pointed out. His words baffled All Might, but not as much as the ones that followed.

"That's right All Might, I promise you. No matter what happens to you, I, I will twist it with you." He stuck out a balled up fist and looked the most determined he had been all day and Toshinori couldn't help but smile at the kind gesture.

"I'll try my best not to cause you trouble." Yes, Midoriya would definitely go to the end of the world to save him, the least he could do was to make the process go smoothly without getting into trouble. Bumping his fist against Midoriya's smaller one, All Might felt the hum of power beneath the boy's skin and felt comforted by the fact that he had Midoriya at his side. Even when the boy suggested Toshinori go see Nighteye again, he felt happy to have such a caring student under him.

Now his kind student just needed to open up and confirm All Might's suspicion that something was wrong and had been for a while.

* * *

 **A bit of a short update, but I am trying to bring things up to speed. Next week will introduce Overhaul and the gang and it will also be pretty short, but the core of my plot will be revealed soon. Until next time! (=w=)/**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: A little late again, I'm sorry! I had initially wanted to describe the canon events in more detail, but honestly, I just want the story to progress now, so I kept it pretty short and instead focused on something you've been waiting for. Enjoy!**

* * *

Learning the truth about becoming All Might's successor hadn't brought Izuku the clarity he had expected to reach, instead it had fueled the fiery determination inside him along with his wish to improve himself and become stronger than ever before. But as life would have it, not everything went as planned.

Izuku had been so caught up in meeting Nighteye and all the revelations that had followed, he completely forgot about confiding in his mentor about his own troubles. If he was being completely honest with himself, he kept putting it off because he was scared of what All Might would say. Izuku genuinely feared his mentor's reaction and didn't want to disappoint the legendary hero with his stupid nightmares. All Might already had so much on his plate that he didn't need Izuku to impose on him as well. At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

Once Izuku returned to the dorm, he headed straight for his room and hit the books. A lot of his time had been spent agonizing over matters that were out of his control and as a result, his studies had been suffering. It wasn't that his grades were getting bad, he still held his academic ranking amongst his peers, but lately he had become unable to focus in class and was behind on reading. If he wanted to succeed at being a hero, he would have to buckle up and study harder. Sighing, Izuku flipped open his textbook and started reading for his next class.

* * *

The day after his debut as Red Riot, Kirishima entered his class with a little apprehension. The events at his patrol the previous day still felt surreal to him, but the encouragement and praise he had received from the civilians he had protected was making his chest swell with pride that he promptly pushed back again. It wouldn't do to become cocky in the very beginning of his internship and let his ego inflate. No, he had to keep his cool and focus on helping out wherever he could.

An image of Amajiki-senpai flashed before his eyes and he briefly wondered how his senior was holding up. He hadn't heard anything from Fatgum about his senpai's current condition and figured they would call if something happened. Eijiro had been thinking about Amajiki's loss of his quirk when Kaminari approached him, waving his phone around with an article about Kirishima's debut displayed. Uraraka and Tsuyu-chan had been spotted too and each sported a small smile at the praise they received.

As the rest of the class uuh'ed and aah'ed, Iida promptly reminded them all that although being an intern was important, the biggest responsibility of a student was to stay focused and not neglect his or her studies. Kirishima agreed with the class president and had even gone to him for more tutoring even though Aizawa-sensei had prepared supplementary lessons for him. Eijiro had vowed to himself that he would improve his grades by the end of the term and he would stop at no means before he succeeded. With that in mind, his gaze swept the handful of people who had already agreed to help him study and he felt himself sharpening his focus.

Now that he had debuted as a rookie hero, he had to keep up with everything else.

* * *

Later that week Izuku was heading out to another day of hard labor with Nighteye, but was surprised to find Kirishima as well as Uraraka and Asui on their way to their respective internships. After the initial greetings the four of them headed out together escorted by a pro hero and found out their destination was the same. They rode the same train together, got off at the same station and were all headed to Nighteye's offices.

"That's odd." Izuku mumbled to himself as they all turned another corner and spotted The Big 3 waiting outside the very same building they were supposed to meet at. After greeting their upperclassmen, the four of them followed closely behind, not aware of what was about to happen inside.

What none of the 1A students had expected was to enter the building and come face to face with heroes of all rankings. Gran Torino and Aizawa-sensei were even there, which only perplexed the newcomers further as to why they had been called. The only information the students had gotten was the meeting place and that costumes weren't needed. Seeing local heroes and big shots like Ryuukyuu could only mean that something was amiss and Izuku instantly felt the icy grip of despair seize his insides. A few calming breaths and a discreet, but worried glance from Uraraka made him able to rein himself in until everyone was called into the conference room.

The meeting that followed their arrival was nothing short of horrifying. All this time Izuku had been selfishly thinking about himself and how he fit into this new world he had entered, and he never once gave it thought that someone as young as Eri was being _used_ to manufacture drugs. The terror that rippled through him was followed swiftly by guilt, anger and frustration. Izuku could feel sweat gather at his hairline and drip down his face and it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He couldn't breathe.

Beside him he could feel Togata-senpai shake from a torrent of emotions and Izuku guessed his senior was feeling exactly the same as him. How was he supposed to become the greatest hero when a little girl's quirk was being abused and he had been too incompetent to save her even as she gripped onto him for dear life? He hated how weak and pathetic he was. He should have fought Chisaki right then and there and poor little Eri wouldn't have been taken away again.

Izuku could feel all eyes in the room on him as he stood with Togata-senpai and vowed to rescue Eri.

* * *

After returning from the meeting, the four students agreed that they couldn't mention anything that had been discussed to their classmates. The information was classified so sharing it would have severe consequences and it was best to keep quiet to avoid raising suspicion. Izuku hadn't been able to sit still all day and guilt had wracked through him every couple minutes, so he had changed out of his uniform and headed straight to the gym where he spent a whole hour letting out all his frustrations. The crackle of electricity that appeared every time he activated One for All was strangely comforting and Izuku found himself repeatedly using it as a distraction for the thoughts that whirled inside his head.

After having mangled the dummy he had been using his power on, the green-haired teenager left the gym and opted for a run. As he ran, Izuku pushed himself harder than he ever had before. His lungs were burning and his legs were shaking, but he inly increased his pace as he ran laps around campus. Sweat was making his hair stick to his face and his shirt cling to his back, but it didn't stop him and he kept running until his legs gave out.

He had reached a patch of grass when pain shot up his left leg and he slowly came to a stop, gingerly putting weight on his foot. The pain hadn't been intense and his ankle wasn't sprained, so it was likely just from exhaustion or from having stepped on uneven ground. Deciding not to risk an injury, he allowed himself to rest for a few minutes and sat down on the grass. He hadn't noticed that it had gone dark as he worked out and wondered how much time he had spent thinking himself to exhaustion. A gentle breeze cooled his skin and the sweat on his face slowly dried as he sat and stared at the sky.

"What's wrong?" Izuku was startled out of his thoughts by Uraraka. He had been sitting for a few minutes and hadn't heard her approaching footsteps. She was standing next to him and bent down to join him on the grass, but he didn't look up at her.

"Everything?" Izuku sighed and leaned back on his hands to look up at the stars again. It occurred to him that she might have meant what was wrong physically, but she didn't correct him so he let the silence stretch between them and tried to find the best way to explain what was going through his head when Uraraka spoke again.

"You must be frustrated." She said and looked at his profile. Deku's jaw was tense and sweat was still dripping from his hair down his neck. Although he was leaning back on his hands and looking straight ahead, he was far from relaxed. Ochaco could see the tiny tremors that overcame him periodically and she had to stop herself from reaching out and putting her hand on his arm.

"She must hate us for letting her down. I can't even imagine how scared she is." Izuku felt the guilt wash over him once more and hated the way his voice shook as he spoke. If Uraraka noticed it, she didn't mention anything.

"I think she's waiting for you to come and save her." The brunette replied and let her fingers run over the blades of grass, before starting to pluck some of them out of the ground.

"What do you mean?" Her companion asked her with a note of confusion in his voice. Ochaco looked at him sideways as her fingers stilled and tried to convey what she had meant.

"From what I heard today, this little girl is terrified and tried to run away on her own. I think that she is so used to being alone and hurt that she didn't even know someone would be willing to save her. If what Nighteye said is true, then surely she is waiting for the two heroes she met to come set her free." Thoughts about the little girl, all alone in some dungeon or a basement had filled the brunette's mind all day and she had decided that she would put her all into ensuring little Eri's safety. Deku stiffened beside her and went quiet for a few seconds before exhaling loudly.

"You're right. I should focus on how to save her instead of wasting my time being frustrated with myself." He finally looked at her and nodded at her encouragement. Seeing his shoulders relax a bit, the brunette sent him a small smile and silently handed him the water bottle she had brought with her when she came looking for him.

He gratefully accepted she noticed how he swiftly chugged down all the contents. He must have forgotten to bring his own and Ochaco felt relieved that she had thought to bring him one. If she knew anything about Deku, it was that he would get so hyperfocused on something and completely forget mundane tasks such as drinking enough water.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard Deku-kun. It won't do you any good." Ochaco chastised gently and watched how he seemed to shrink a little.

She had seen how fast he had been running without the use of his quirk and had been informed by Todoroki at the gym that he had already spent an hour hitting sandbags, walls and dummies. It saddened her that his way of dealing with the entire situation was to overwork himself and she decided to address it and hopefully put an end to it.

"I'm sorry." Izuku felt his cheeks heat up in shame. He was reminded of his training with All Might over a year ago where he had pushed his body too far and had a major setback instead of the improvement he had desired. This was no different. Of course he had to keep up his training regimen, but he had to be careful not to overdo it, he could see that now.

"I know you just needed to let out all your frustrations, but there are other ways to do it that aren't as taxing on your body." She continued with a stern look on her face. At first Izuku was stunned. Uraraka never reprimanded him like that and usually only offered advice on what he could do. She kept her expression neutral as long as she could, but then a smile threatened to overtake her features and he realized who she was impersonating.

"You sound like Iida-kun." Izuku tried to his hardest not to laugh, but Uraraka's beginning giggles were contagious and he lost all control.

He laughed harder than he had imagined he would and was wheezing for air once he was finished. Uraraka was still giggling and had covered her mouth with her hands, but he could see her shoulders shaking from the force of her laughter. Her eyes were sparkling despite the dim light from the nearest lamppost and her cheeks looked flushed. Seeing her so carefree and happy made his insides turn gooey and he found himself itching to touch her to maybe transfer some of her happiness to himself.

Izuku felt his heart beat a little faster and gave in to an impulse to lean closer and put his hand on the side of her face. He was inches away from her face and she had lowered her hands as she watched him lean closer. Izuku was ignoring the tiny part of his brain that told him to stop and think about what he was doing, but he found himself listening to the part of him that found Uraraka's smile precious and kept on advancing slowly.

Ochaco could feel her heart pounding in her chest at Deku's proximity, but she didn't dare pull away for fear of ruining his tentative advance. She could feel her palms sweating and the butterflies in her stomach weren't making anything better, so she tried to focus all her attention on the boy in front of her. Deku's gaze was soft and he closed his eyes as he came even closer and slowly, ever so slowly planted a kiss on her temple.

The light pressure of his lips on her skin made Ochaco's mind go blank and as he pulled back just as slowly as he had advanced, she wished he would lean back in and let her feel the feather-light touch of his lips again. His hand was still cupping her face and he moved it to push some of her hair behind her ear as he smiled at her shyly.

"Thank you." He said as he let his hand drop down and looked away in embarrassment. His heart was thumping loudly against his ribcage and he was tried to keep calm.

Whatever moment of bravery had possessed Izuku had now passed and he was left with an urge to bolt. He hadn't meant to kiss her. It had just… happened. She had looked so bright and happy and he had just wanted to take her hand or caress her cheek, he had never thought himself capable of actually going for a kiss! He hadn't even asked her for permission, he had just done it without thinking and now he was feeling like an idiot and blushing to his roots. He was hoping she didn't hate him for it and found himself waiting for a reaction or a response of some sort.

"Y-you're welcome." Ochaco squeaked as she hid her face in her hands. She wasn't sure what he had thanked her for, but she was glad he was feeling better and had been able to confide in her a little. Now, if she could just get her mad blushing under control, she could perhaps face him and not make their little moment become embarrassing.

"M-maybe we should go back inside before we catch a cold?" Izuku suggested mildly. He was still reeling from the sensation of kissing her smooth skin and wanted to seek refuge in his room, but he was afraid that she would be upset with him if he just left after doing something so bold.

"You're right." Uraraka had gotten herself under control and made to stand when Izuku shot up and offered her his hand. He couldn't look at her directly and was staring at some spot to her left, but Ochaco was grateful she wouldn't have to look into those enchanting green eyes of his and turn into jelly.

She accepted his hand and let him pull her up, but when he wanted to let go, she tightened her hold on his fingers as she looked anywhere but at him. He had kissed her. He had actually kissed her and it felt like a dream. If it wasn't for their mutual inability to look at one another, she would have thought she imagined it all, but she could still feel the ghost of his lips on her temple and she found herself smiling at her feet.

Deku seemed to have caught on to her request and carefully laced his fingers through hers. They were silent on the way back to the dorm and only let go of each other's hands when they entered the dorm. The silence between them wasn't awkward and they still bid each other goodnight before going their separate ways, while trying to ignore the fluttering sensations in their stomachs.

* * *

 **Finally! A short, sweet kiss! My bf actually tried to bribe me a month ago to at least let them have their first kiss, so naturally, I made them wait even longer... Anywho, did you like it? Also, do you want me to include a Ochaco POV of the meeting and her reaction to finding out about Eri or should we just keep moving? Thank you, as always for all your kind reviews! Until next time (=w=)/**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I apologize for not getting back to each of you, but I want you to know that I read and enjoy every single review! I don't know if anyone received a notification that this chapter was up, because I didn't and I had very few views compared to normal. No matter. Enjoy!**

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It had been two days since Ochaco had called her parents and told about what she had been keeping secret from them. Ever since that day, she had been feeling a little better. It hadn't been necessary to convince and coax herself out of bed the past two days. Instead, the brunette had woken up both days and practically jumped out of bed. Now that the biggest cause of her anxiety was gone, she could focus on her training and studying. The rest, Ochaco decided, would come with time and so, she set about getting ready for her day.

"Ochaco-chan, are you awake?" A series of knocks sounded outside the door and the gravity user dropped her brush on her bed, admitting defeat against her unruly hair. Tsuyu-chan was early; they weren't supposed to meet for another ten minutes, but once the brunette glanced at her watch, she realized that she was running a few minutes late.

"I'm coming!" Ochaco replied as she rushed to finish her morning routine. Her hair had a mind of its own and the brunette gave up on taming it. Hopefully, it only looked purposely messy and not like a bird's nest.

As Ochaco grabbed her cell phone and keys she glanced at the suitcase with her hero costume in it. The two girls had been called to meet with Ryukyu at a different location than their regular office and had been instructed to be in civilian clothes upon arrival.

"Good morning Tsuyu-chan!" Ochaco chirped as she exited her room and locked the door. The frog-girl's response was less chipper as she curiously regarded her friend, but she started making conversation nonetheless.

That was one of the many thing Ochaco admired about Tsuyu that she wasn't fazed by anything and always had good judgment. She was always calm and collected, but different from say Todoroki. While the dual quirk wielder was passionate and easy to rile up in the heat of a battle, Tsuyu was always aware of her surroundings and never lost her cool, which was exactly why it didn't surprise Ochaco one bit that the frog girl addressed the brunette's good mood.

"You seem happy today. Did something good happen?" Her eyes searched Ochaco's face for signs of anything and she was happy to see a soft smile form.

"Something like that." The brunette replied mysteriously. Tsuyu didn't press for further detail and made a humming sound in response, so Ochaco took a moment to think over what had been occupying a good portion of her thoughts lately.

Deku had been on her mind a lot, but so had her other friends. Iida had been frequently texting her to make sure she was okay and wasn't feeling stressed and the rest of the girls were even friendlier than usual and hung out often. Simply put, Ochaco felt blessed to have so many amazing people around her and she wanted to repay their kindness. She was a firm believer in receiving the same energy you put out in the universe, so she was trying to do her part and put out positive energy and good vibes.

As the elevator door swung open, the two girls heard Kirishima greeting Midoriya and they called out greetings of their own. Ochaco's eyes stayed on Midoriya for a few moments longer than necessary, but there was something different about him and she couldn't quite place what it was. His expression had been somber for a couple of days and he had been a lot quieter than usual, but he hadn't approached her or Iida, so she didn't know what was going on in his head.

As it turned out, the four students were headed to the same destination and Ochaco decided to keep an eye on Deku for the remainder of the day and then talk to him once the meeting was over. She didn't like the gloomy air around him and wanted to see him smile. The gravity manipulator realized that she was almost desperate to see him happy and worry-free. She felt her stomach sink as they rode the train together and Deku avoided conversation by staring out of the window. She had been close to steering conversation to include him, but he finally looked up with his small 'I'm-trying-my-hardest'-smile and Ochaco leaned back as he took part in their discussion.

The brunette had been fixated on Midoriya ever since they met up this morning and hadn't noticed Tsuyu's eyes watch their interactions. The frog girl had an inkling of what was going on between her two friends, but it wasn't her place to bring attention to it. She would ask Ochaco some other time, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Midoriya had something to do with the brunette's improved mood. Ironically, the freckled boy looked conflicted and not at all at ease as they continued making their way towards the Nighteye offices. He brightened up considerably when he saw the wide array of heroes gathered inside the lobby and could even rank them at a glance, something Tsuyu filed away for later inspection.

Once the meeting commenced the four students saw a fraction of what their daily lives would become after they graduated and became licensed pros. Midoriya spent the entity of the meeting feeling dread, Kirishima wanted justice for the girl as did Ochaco and Tsuyu.

* * *

The more time Ochaco spent with the pros, the more she realized how rotten the world was. How could anyone turn their own child into a weapon and manufacture drugs from _her body_. It was sickening and more than once the gravity user had to fight down the tremors that threatened to break out all over her body. She had to be in control, she reminded herself, otherwise she wouldn't be able to provide assistance to anyone.

As soon as it had been mentioned that the bullet Kirishima deflected contained human cells, Ochaco's gaze had swept over all the people gathered in the room. It appeared that all the occupants were disgusted and outraged by the revelation – not only the UA students. Aizawa-sensei started explaining the way the Eight Precepts of Death had used the drugs to affect the quirks and the brunette was reminded of the time she had been poisoned by a similar quirk. A few moments later, she tuned out the conversation and observed the rest of the students. Tsuyu put a comforting hand on Ochaco's shoulder and she smiled weakly in return.

Kirishima was glancing between Amajiki and Aizawa-sensei trying to make sense of what had taken place during his debut, while Amajiki-senpai who had been hit with such a bullet seemed calmer than was expected of him. Next to them, Fatgum was hovering like a worried mother hen as he frequently interjected the discussion and pushed for the rescue of the little girl that came to be known as Eri.

While the adults were discussing the events leading up to the discovery no one paid attention to Nighteye's interns until their encounter with the girl and Overhaul was mentioned. Ochaco's heart broke a little when she saw Deku's shaking form. He and Togata were both hiding their faces from view, but she didn't have to see them to know what was going on in their heads. Midoriya and Togata had both come so close to save Eri, but it hadn't been enough and the brunette was certain they felt disappointment, remorse and guilt more than anyone else in this room. She could see the sweat gathered along their hairlines and running down their faces as they both stared at the desk in front of them.

"The ones who are most frustrated here and now are these two." Nighteye said and Ochaco agreed. She knew Deku very well and was acutely aware that he would blame himself for falling short. The sound of chairs scraping along the floor alerted everyone in the room that the two rookies were ready to take responsibility.

"We won't fail you this time, Eri! We'll protect her this time!" They swore with fierce determination. Deku stood tall next to Togata-senpai, but only someone who knew him as well as she did saw the way his brows were scrunched together. He was convincing himself that they would succeed, but his worry for the little girl shone through his resolve.

Ochaco made a mental note to seek out Deku when they returned to the dorm and make sure he wasn't planning on doing anything rash. He was, after all, notorious for getting into trouble without even trying and heaven knows what would happen if he decided to seek out the gang on his own. No, she had to make sure he understood the severity of the situation and didn't act on his impulses.

The gravity user had been craning her neck to see Deku, but she felt her nerves settle down as she watched him calmly sit back down and not charge out of the room. Aizawa-sensei was sitting on the row opposite of her a few paces to her left and caught everyone's attention by asking a question. All the heroes' attention was focused back on the discussion at hand and they spent a great deal of time asking Nighteye about his quirk and why he hadn't used it to stop the Eight Precepts of Death already.

At this point Ochaco zoned out and stared down at her lap. Ryukyu was seated to her left and was very vocal in the discussions, but despite the hero's proximity, Ochaco didn't hear a word she said. Fatgum too spoke up often and even with his voice like a foghorn, his words didn't reach a certain brunette. She was having trouble keeping it together as they sat through the rest of the meeting.

Her heart went out to Eri and she hoped a solution would present itself at the earliest opportunity. Ochaco was getting frustrated with the pros that kept shooting down each other's ideas instead of supporting one another. How could they sit and accuse each other of this and that when a little girl was out there all alone and scared out of her mind? Ochaco could feel tears prickling her eyes and willed them to go away. The brunette closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose when the arguing got particularly bad and instantly felt a pair of eyes on her person. Tsuyu-chan's ever calming presence was soothing and she saw her own feelings reflected in the frog girls eyes. Sending her a tiny nod, Ochaco returned her gaze to the main table where Nighteye was seated and caught sight of Deku once more.

He was staring at Nighteye, hanging off every word spoken between the pros, but all signs of anger had been erased from his features. How could he look so composed when he had seen Eri with his own two eyes? Ochaco had never met the girl and she couldn't handle the thought of Eri being hurt to make drugs, how was Deku able to calmly sit and listen to the pointless arguing?

It was one of his many strengths, she realized. Even when faced with child abusing gangs, Deku's resolve was so strong that he never wavered. His eyes were shining and a muscle in his jaw was twitching, but other than that his attention was solely on the speakers. Earlier he had been emanating fear and guilt, now he was radiating strength and Ochaco felt herself calming down at the sight. He would be the one to rescue little Eri, she could feel it.

* * *

The group of UA students had been dismissed and was gathered around a table in the lobby as they waited for the meeting to end. There had still been matters to discuss, but the students hadn't been needed for that so they were allowed to step outside. The second they entered the lobby, Ochaco felt that she could breathe properly again. The conference room had become suffocating and she had itched to get outside and get away from the arguing pros.

Kirishima had been the one to break the silence at the table. They were still reeling from all the information they received at the meeting, but the one thing they all felt was frustration. The hot-blooded teenager was sitting between Amajiki and Togata, the latter with his head bent over the table once again hiding from view. The remaining two parts of the Big 3 exchanged glances and intently watched their friend who had resigned himself to silence.

"This is so frustrating." Kirishima grit his teeth and exhaled sharply. He hated feeling useless and wanted to get up and punch something.

"Deku…" Ochaco whispered, hoping her best friend would look up from his position next to his upperclassman. If he heard her, he gave no response and kept his head down until Aizawa-sensei appeared.

Their homeroom teacher took one look at their faces and bluntly told them that he had planned on suspending their internships since the League of Villains likely was involved, but upon hearing their protests, the pro hero just sighed and squatted down in front of his most troublesome student setting some rules.

Bent down to Midoriya's eye level he looked like a father scolding his child, but very few noticed the words of encouragement hidden in his scolding. He was going to look out for all of his students and if anything threatened their safety, he was pulling them out stat. Ochaco watched with wide eyes as he touched his fist to Deku's chest and sparked something in the younger boy. The change was instantaneous. The advice Aizawa-sensei gave Midoriya had also been reassurance that he wasn't alone and that alone was a gesture of comfort that had been sorely needed.

* * *

Once the four 1A students arrived back at the dorm, school was long over and their classmates could be found lounging in the common space, shooting them curious glances once in a while. The train ride back home had been quiet and the atmosphere heavy. The four only spoke if necessary; otherwise everyone was caught up in their own thoughts.

Now back home, they all split up and took some time to digest the events of the day. Ochaco headed for her room to shower and change out of her uniform. Ever since they had left, she had felt something dark grip her insides and squeeze until she couldn't breathe, and she had to remember that the pros were working on securing Eri before any action could be taken. They would find her, she was sure of it. Meanwhile she would try her best to keep up her training so she could help them in every way possible.

Ochaco remembered the glint of determination she had seen in Deku's eyes and she allowed herself to borrow some of his strength and faith in the pros. After showering and putting on something comfortable, she sat down on her bed and texted Midoriya to see if he was able to meet up with her. Twenty minutes passed and she received no reply, so she grabbed her sweater and went to his room to search for him.

"Deku-kun?" Ochaco knocked softly on the door and waited for a response, but no sound of shuffling footsteps could be heard inside. Either, he didn't want company or he wasn't inside.

Mineta poked his head out of his own room and informed her that Midoriya had left wearing his gym clothes over an hour ago and hadn't returned. The tiny leech managed to tell her without making even one vulgar suggestion as to what he could be up to, so Ochaco thanked him quietly before she headed back to the elevator.

Grabbing her outdoor shoes and her jacket from the entrance hall, the gravity user started making her way to the gym where Deku supposedly was. What state she would find him in she didn't know, but she had to make sure he was okay.

* * *

 **Next week the Eri arc will be wrapped up and the plot will move forward. Hope you enjoyed an Ochaco-centric update (=w=)/**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: You guys are honestly so amazing, thank you for all the love you are showing the story! A couple of things: I have decided that I will not be including the newest arc of the manga for a couple of reasons. I find it hard to describe and follow the canon events when I re-use scenes form the manga as I've done recently and I much prefer writing freely. As I've mentioned before, I am a full-time student and I also work a lot as well as being involved in extra curricular activities and I simply don't have enough time to write as much as I want. This means that the story is coming to an end, but I reckon there are around 10ish chapters left. Another thing I've been asked a few times that I feel have to address is Eri's role. She is no major part of the plot and if you're looking for a fic where Izuku, Ochaco and class 1A "adopt" her, this isn't it. She is only mentioned from here on out because she is to be rescued, but she won't be making an appearance. Remember that all the students are underage and although they are becoming heroes, they can't just adopt a little girl that has been removed from her family. Also, the focus of this fic is the mental health of all the students which is where focus will be now along with the budding romance. I wrote a longer chapter than usual and I hope you enjoy!**

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It didn't take her long to make her way to the gym the students had been allowed access to. The training facilities were available until midnight and Ochaco was afraid Deku would stay there until he was kicked out. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect of him – he had been pretty calm on the way home from the meeting – but knowing him, he was probably training himself tired to take his mind off the events of the day.

Ochaco entered the gym through the front and let her gaze sweep over the room, searching for her green-haired friend. She saw Todoroki, Satou and a few of the others, but Deku was nowhere in sight. The brunette felt worry gnaw in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it down and headed straight to Todoroki who was practicing hitting targets with both quirks simultaneously.

"Todoroki-kun." She called out to him to alert him of her presence and to avoid startling him and becoming a new target for him. That had happened to Deku before, but his amazing reflexes had saved him and he had gotten away with only a bruise from where he had deflected the icicle hurled towards him.

The prince of the class looked up at his name being called and ceased fire, literally. Waves of heat rolled off him and Ochaco briefly wished she had taken off her jacket before coming inside, but she shook her head and continued forward, hoping he could help.

"Yes?" He asked and walked over to meet her halfway. At first glance, he didn't seem tired, but once he got close enough Ochaco could see tiny puffs of air leaving his mouth as his breathing was slightly labored. His left side had beads of sweat rolling down his skin and his clothes appeared damp, while on his right side the clothes had frozen over in several places and wisps of mist flowed from his skin and hair.

"How long have you been here?" She couldn't help but ask. He, along with Iida and Deku, was among those who frequented the gym the most, surely he didn't have to push himself so hard?

' _That is exactly why they are so much stronger than you.'_ The uninvited thoughts snuck up on her and she quickly drowned out the voice with reason. Of course they would be stronger than her if they trained so vigorously every day. Ochaco was also improving steadily and that wasn't going unnoticed.

"It's been a couple hours." Todoroki shrugged and wiped his forehead with his sleeve, scrunching his brows together when the moisture started freezing. He really needed to control his temperature regulation better without his costume – that was probably one of his biggest hurdles at the moment.

"Have you seen Deku?" Ochaco noticed that Todoroki's footprints left scorch marks or ice every time he took a step and wondered if he was aware or simply didn't bother controlling his quirk in his feet.

"He was here a while ago, over there." The normally quiet boy pointed to where a handful of dummies had been lined up against the wall. Ochaco wordlessly walked over to the mangled dummies and Todoroki followed silently behind. Midoriya had abandoned some of them lying in heaps on the floor, but he had easily gone through half a dozen still standing upright.

Ochaco made a choking sound when they came into view. All of the dummies were tattered and destroyed from overuse. Marks showed where Deku had punched and kicked the most and his blows had only gotten harder. The backsides of the dummies were all ripped open and their stuffing had fallen out most likely from impact of a quirk-powered hit.

"He went pretty hard at it." Todoroki remarked as they surveyed the damage done by their friend. He must have been really upset if this was the state his equipment was in. To Ochaco's horror, she saw specks of red spattered across the front of one dummy.

"Is that blood?" She pointed to the dummy and Todoroki stilled. He had watched Midoriya do reckless things on a number of occasions, but he hadn't noticed his friend's frustration that seemed to have caused the kindhearted boy to punch his hands bloody.

Shoto felt horrible for not noticing before, he had been too concentrated on his own training to notice Midoriya's apparent distress. He had waved once when the freckled boy entered the gym and he had waved back, but that was it. How had he failed to notice that Midoriya didn't come over to talk when he was done using the gym? The green-haired boy always stopped by for a few minutes of conversation and they usually helped each other out with whatever obstacles they were each trying to overcome, but today Shoto had barely looked in Midoriya's direction. He faintly remembered hearing the dull thuds of blows landing on their intended target, but he hadn't noticed any shouting or cursing, so he assumed Midoriya had been fine. Now he regretted not checking up on him.

"Did something happen today at his internship?" Shoto directed his question to the brunette who was biting her lower lip. Uraraka looked up at him and for a few seconds she was quiet, trying to figure out what to tell him and finally she settled on nodding.

"I can't tell-" Uraraka started apologizing, but Shoto was aware that they couldn't share any of what had happened unless it was public knowledge.

"It's fine. What are we going to do about Midoriya? At this rate he'll hurt himself even more." Shoto frowned and tried to remember when he had seen Midoriya leave. If only he had paid more attention to his friend! It wasn't often that the son of Endeavor felt like this, but he considered Midoriya one of his only friends and he felt like he had let the freckled boy down by being oblivious.

"We have to find him first." Uraraka said and turned around to leave. She couldn't stand to see the destruction Midoriya had caused and just wanted to get out of there and find him. Shoto was about to follow her when he noticed that the blood on the training dummy wasn't dripping and called his classmate back. He stepped closer and reached his hand out to touch the red marks and to his relief, they weren't fresh. It wasn't Midoriya's blood. Beside him, Uraraka exhaled shakily and Shoto saw some of the tension leave her shoulders.

"Oh thank God." Uraraka mumbled. She looked up when she saw Ojiro enter the gym and call out her and Todoroki and she waved back weakly while Todoroki nodded his head in the martial artist's direction.

"That solves one issue, but we still need to find Midoriya." Shoto said as they started to move away and headed towards the door. They had passed Ojiro as Shoto had spoken and the blonde boy had overheard their conversation without meaning to.

"Are you looking for Midoriya? I saw him out running just a few minutes ago, I think he is trying to beat Iida's record for sprinting." His tail swished behind him as he informed them of where he had last seen their classmate.

Midoriya had been running awfully hard, but Ojiro had thought nothing of it - he was known for being a hard-worker after all. Uraraka and Todoroki were looking kind of stone faced as they mulled over his words, but they finally nodded and told him thanks before heading towards the entrance.

Todoroki picked up his things on the way out and trailed behind the brunette, suddenly feeling unsure of what to do. He silently watched Uraraka walk with determined steps towards the doors and felt out of place. She was still biting down on her bottom lip and her eyes kept searching for Midoriya even though he had left the gym a while ago. She seemed to know what had happened earlier in the day and the dual quirk wielder was also aware of how close they were. Shoto hadn't noticed that anything was amiss before Uraraka came along and told him and despite the sinking feeling in his stomach, Shoto felt that she should be the one to talk to Midoriya. Once they were outside, he came to a stop a few meters behind her.

"Uraraka." His voice made her stop walking and she looked over her shoulder to see he had stopped walking, so she turned around and walked a few steps back. He had a contemplating look on his face that Ochaco had seen a couple of times now and knew that he was trying to make a decision.

"I think it might be better if you talk to Midoriya alone. You already know why he is upset and I don't want him to feel restricted if it's something you guys can't talk about with me around." He explained and adjusted the strap of his bag that was digging into the skin between his neck and shoulder. He waited for Uraraka to absorb his words and saw the flurry of emotions that quickly crossed her features.

Ochaco was rendered speechless. She wanted to protest and insist that he come with her – he was just as worried about Deku and he had abandoned his training to go look for him. She knew that Deku wouldn't mind if Todoroki also came with her to talk to him, but at the same time she could understand where he was coming from. Todoroki knew Deku well enough to know that he might keep quiet about what had caused him distress if he was bound by confidentiality and use that as an excuse to not talk about it. If Ochaco approached him alone, he would be able to talk freely. Pondering it for a few more moments, the brunette nodded.

"I understand." She told him.

She was glad that he was so considerate of Deku, but she also wanted the green-haired boy to know how much the ice prince cared about him. It was remarkable how much Todoroki had warmed up to others, especially Midoriya and Iida. He had been downright unapproachable when they first met and now he was looking out for his friend as best as he could. Ochaco wanted to hug him, but she wasn't sure how Todoroki would react so she opted for a blinding smile instead and felt a little victorious when he smiled back.

"I'll go tell Iida. Then we can keep an eye on him together." Todoroki offered and the brunette nodded in agreement. She needed more people in the 'Watch-out-for-Deku'-club and every person counted.

They walked together for a few minutes and Ochaco found that she didn't mind being around Todoroki. He didn't make pointless small talk and like with Deku, his silence didn't make her feel awkward or uncomfortable. He was simply a person of few words, but he had become more talkative recently which everyone in their class had noticed.

Before they separated Ochaco spotted a vending machine illuminated by a lamppost and a though occurred to her. She wasn't sure if Deku had remembered to bring any water with him so she started moving towards it with the intention of buying him one if he hadn't. Todoroki watched curiously as she pulled the bottle out from the compartment it dunked into and put the change in her pocket. He raised an eyebrow questioningly when she returned and a soft smile formed on her face.

"It's for Deku. In case he forgot." She explained. Todoroki put his head to the side, thinking. Then he reached out a hand and waited for her to place the bottle in his palm.

She handed it to him without question, but wondered what he was doing. Had he also forgotten his bottle and discovered that he was thirsty after his intense training? It dawned on her when she watched him hold the bottle in his right hand and activate his quirk. He handed it back to her with a smirk and walked away after saying bye, leaving her puzzled albeit grateful.

Ochaco watched his retreating back for a few more second before starting to walk the other way. It was likely that Deku was avoiding the dormitory for now and was still running, so she started walking in the opposite direction, scouting for a head of messy green hair. It took her a while of following the path and she was secretly glad that UA's campus resembled a park. She and Deku had already had a few heart-to-hearts outside, so it was bound to make it easier to talk to him. She hoped.

Finally she saw a blurry outline of a person sprinting with all their might a good hundred meters away and she instantly recognized him. He wasn't using Full Cowl to run, but he was still moving a lot faster than she had seen him run before. Ochaco stopped walking and simply watched him. She couldn't see his from this far away, but the way he was running it almost felt like he was being chased by someone or _something_. Another minute went by before Deku finally slowed to a stop and sat down on the ground.

Ochaco wanted to run over to him and put her arms around him, to assure him that everything would be okay, but she forced herself to walk slowly over to him. She spent the remaining time composing herself and trying to think of what to say to him. She tried putting herself in his shoes. How would she have felt if she was informed that a girl she had met by chance was being held captive by her own father and used to manufacture drugs used to erase quirks? She would feel horrible for sure. And she would feel guilty, angry and anxious to help the little girl.

Ochaco was still meters from reaching him when he leaned back and looked at the sky again. He seemed to have calmed down and was completely quiet. It made it easier to approach him when he was calm and not in a panicked state of mind. A tiny part of her was afraid that if he was angry, he would lash out at her, but she told herself to stop being silly and to step up and help Deku the way he always helped others. Todoroki had wanted to help, but had chosen her for the task instead of himself, so the least she could do was to try and talk to Deku on her own.

She was just a couple of steps behind him when she asked him what was wrong. He seemed startled for a second, but relaxed once he saw it was her. He didn't look at her for some reason, but Ochaco accepted it regardless and sat down next to him on the grass. He didn't answer right away and she was about to ask him something else when he half-jokingly said that everything was wrong.

For a while, Ochaco just watched him and tried to figure out the best way to get him to talk. She thought about how Iida would cut right to the chase and scold him for being careless so that was what she tried. The brunette knew he was frustrated about not being able to save Eri, but she also wanted to scream at him that it wasn't his fault and that he could still save her. She didn't, of course, but sometimes Deku's thick head got on her nerves. Ochaco knew he meant well, but he needed to stop seeing himself as a failure and instead focus on what he could do right now instead of punishing himself.

Deku had the grace to look ashamed and Ochaco looked down and saw the water bottle in her hand. She thought once again about Todoroki's tiny gesture and had a mind to tell Deku about it, but she decided she would mention it another day. For now she watched as he emptied the bottle in a few seconds. She had been right that he had forgotten to bring water and felt victorious for the second time that evening. Taking a deep breath, the brunette studied her companion once more before channeling her inner Iida and scolding him for overdoing it. She could just imagine how the class president would launch into a tirade about the importance of rest and how he would swing his hands around, almost smacking someone in the face. The mental image made her laugh and she couldn't take it anymore, so she let her giggles out.

Midoriya laughed right next to her and when they had laughed until their faces were red, Deku did something unexpected and cupped her face. Ochaco's heart rate shot up the closer he came to her face and only one thought crossed her mind. He was going to kiss her. For a second, she wanted to run away, but the urge to flee disappeared as soon as it had come and she realized that she wanted him to kiss her. His gorgeous green eyes that always managed to trap her were closer than ever before and he closed them just so he could let his lips touch her temple.

Ochaco felt electricity run through her at his kiss and her breath caught in her throat. She was afraid that if she dared breathe, Deku would disappear and it would all turn out to be a dream. But he didn't disappear. He pulled back and smiled shyly, thanking her. Ochaco replied automatically but her mind was reeling and she was trying to get her heart to stop thumping so loudly. She almost missed what he said because of the blood rushing in her ears, she was only fixated on his lips. Deku said something about catching a cold and she noticed that while she was wearing a jacket, he was only in the school issued gyms clothes.

Getting to her feet, she was surprised once again when Midoriya offered her his hand and pulled her up. His skin was still warm to the touch and when he moved to pull away, Ochaco tightened her grip on him. She wanted to tell him that it was okay to hold her hand and she had liked the kiss and she wanted him to do it again, but the words wouldn't come out. She couldn't look at Deku, but when she felt him entwine their fingers she felt a flood of relief wash over her that he had understood her unvoiced question. Her stomach was doing somersaults the whole walk back to the dorm and she couldn't help but touch the place he had kissed her. It still felt tingly and she almost asked him to do it again to feel the sensation again, but they had reached the doors into the dormitory and finally they let go of each other.

Ochaco wanted to stay outside for a couple more minutes to get her flushed face under control, but she was concerned Deku would catch a cold, so she followed him inside and made sure he went directly to his room to rest.

She finally made it to her own room and closed the door behind her with an audible click. It had to have been a dream. There was no way the Deku had kissed her cheek. The tingling sensation and the butterflies in her stomach told her otherwise. She couldn't remember when her body started reacting that way towards him. She had always been aware of him ever since the day they met at the entrance exam, but lately she found herself gazing at him and she caught herself searching for a mop of green hair first thing when she entered a room he could be in. Ochaco's cheeks heated up once again and she felt her heart flutter as she remembered how he had smiled at her after kissing her. When had she started having these feelings for him? She didn't know when it started, but one thing was for sure. She had fallen for Midoriya Izuku and she had fallen hard.

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 **There you have it, Ochaco has outright admitted her crush on Izuku! Things will only get better from here!...Maybe. Until next time! (=w=)/**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Sorry for lack of updates! It has been crazy busy with school and a wedding to attend etc. I would like to apologize for sounding so rude in my previous AN, it was not my intention to be so harsh about Eri's role and you guys have been so incredibly sweet about it! I loved reading every single review even if I was unable to reply to it. Just know that it means the world to me to have your support. And with that, get ready for some fluff at the end. Enjoy!**

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When Izuku entered his room and locked the door behind him, he made a beeline for his bed and plopped down face first. He was sweaty and aching all over, but his insides were all warm and mushy. His mind continued to replay the evening over and over making heat rise to his cheeks at the thought of holding Uraraka's hand. They had become a lot closer as of late, but this type of intimacy was very new to Izuku, so it was puzzling and exciting all at once.

A big part of him was nervous at the prospect of… something happening between them, but an equally big part of him wanted to explore this new territory. Uraraka had willingly hugged him numerous times and she had often taken his hand, which made Izuku think that she was starting to show interest in him. He had yet to determine what type of interest it was and how he felt about. Of course Izuku didn't want to jump conclusions and get his hopes up, but he was also fairly certain that it wasn't only friendship that she had offered him. There had been times when he had caught her looking at him and when she noticed, she would promptly look away and turn red.

Izuku himself had noticed a stirring in his chest whenever Uraraka smiled at him and he distinctly remembered his palms going clammy pretty often, especially around her. The teen had often heard people describe these types of feelings as love, but Izuku had never been involved with any girls before – he hadn't even befriended any before UA – so it was hard to tell what his reactions to her presence meant and how Uraraka felt about him.

' _IF, she feels something for me. I gotta calm down.'_ He scolded himself mentally and groaned as he rolled to his side. His legs ached and his arms were sore, but stretching his tired limbs didn't help him in the least. Izuku considered going downstairs to shower, but couldn't be bothered to leave his room and so decided to use his own bathroom.

Once in the shower, the freckled teenager worked to loosen the tension in his shoulders by rubbing them. His neck felt stiff and his back was tired as well, which wasn't that surprising considering his day. The events of the morning still felt surreal to him and for a good minute Izuku wondered if the meeting really had taken place earlier that day or if it was some distant memory that had somehow resurfaced.

Washing away all the dirt and grime from his skin, Izuku turned the tap and shut off the water, but didn't step out right away. His hand had stilled on the tap and he didn't bother extracting it, but watched with disinterest as water drops slowly slid down his bare arms. Izuku's vision turned blurry as the events of the past few days finally caught up with him. All Might, Nighteye, Eri, Overhaul, Togata senpai, Uraraka – images of each person flooded his mind and he had to take a moment to calm down and suppress the feeling that he was suffocating in the steam-filled shower. His eyes starting stinging and he realized that he was crying from sheer frustration and willed himself to move after wiping his eyes with the heel of his hands.

Stepping out, Izuku took a shaky breath and started to dry off. Once he was dressed he headed straight for his bed and burrowed down under the covers. He realized that he hadn't eaten dinner, but didn't feel hungry so instead he closed his eyes and hoped sleep would claim him. Izuku couldn't stop thinking about Eri and wondered if she was even getting any sleep wherever she was being held captive. Thinking about Eri only made his stomach churn, so instead the tired teenager tried to visualize what All Might would have done in this situation.

Would the top hero have burst into whatever dungeon or sterile room she was being kept in or would he calmly let the other pros do their jobs and wait for green light from them before taking action? Obviously, All Might would have made the choice that endangered Eri the least which was to wait until everything was in place. But All Might was no longer in the picture, Izuku realized. His mentor was not part of this rescue mission and as his successor, he shouldn't make decisions based on what All Might would have done. Izuku needed to walk on the path All Might had laid out for him, but fill his own shoes as he embarked on his journey. All Might was no longer walking in front of him and now it was Izuku's turn to lead his retired mentor.

All the thoughts were muddling together in his head and Izuku turned to his side on the bed. In doing so, the green-haired teenager could have sworn he caught a whiff of Uraraka's scent and found himself inhaling deeply to locate its source, but he could only smell the scent of his own soap. The stirring in his chest returned and Izuku pictured her smile in his mind. Her laughter echoed in his ears and the sound actually calmed him. When had she become such a fixture in his life that the thought of her could soothe his nerves? And when did he start spending so much time thinking about her, when there was so much going on in his life?

With his mind swirling with thoughts about a scared young girl, a smiling brunette and All Might, Izuku fell into a restless slumber.

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The following day Izuku was in a slightly better mood and was actually able to pay attention to his class for all of an hour. His sleep had been horrible and he had dreamt of being a bird locked in a cage and doctors wearing gloves and masks had plucked him clean of feathers and sliced off his flesh with ice cold scalpels. The doctors had used his flesh to make poison for All Might and he had died with a single trail of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth – the blood had been black.

Despite such a grotesque nightmare, Izuku was feeling surprisingly fine. There were instances where chills would run down his spine as he remembered the horrible images, but the freckled teen was able to shake them off. When it came down to it, Izuku had realized his nightmares were projections of his worst fears mixed in with whatever was nagging his sub consciousness and not the absolute truth. Did the dreams still strike fear into his heart? Absolutely. But had they also loosened their hold on him? Slowly, but surely. It had taken a while, but he was finally getting better. Or he was at least getting better at telling apart his nightmares from reality.

How Izuku had managed to numb his mind from the horrors of the previous day was a mystery he would never solve. Now that it was a new day, he remembered all the details much more clearly and was having trouble sitting still. Izuku itched to do something for Eri, but since he and the rest of the interns were on standby, there was nothing he could do. He just had to be patient. It didn't help that it dawned on him that he had missed his chance to talk to talk to Nighteye about All Might and ask some more questions. It had completely been pushed to the back of his mind to make room for the onslaught of information at the meeting.

Izuku had been pondering the meeting for the umpteenth time that day when Todoroki brought his attention to the forgotten food in front of him. He hadn't meant to zone out like that and judging from Iida's and Todoroki's worried glances he had been distant for longer than he thought.

He had worried both of them again and Iida's gentle reminder that they were friends and could always talk to each other made tears spring to Izuku's eyes. He had been so caught up in the mess that was his situation that he hadn't realized how lonely he had felt. He had forgotten about his friends and although they had reached out to him numerous times, he wanted to repay them for their concern, which was why he hastily wiped away the remains of his tears.

Izuku felt the back of his neck prickle and looked around him, only to catch Uraraka's eyes. She was sitting on the row opposite him, but with the rest of the girls a few paces down. The brunette raised her brows a little and tilted her head slightly in his direction, and Izuku managed to smile at her weakly and shake his head. He could feel her regarding him for a few seconds and felt relieved when she nodded and returned to the conversation around her. Izuku felt a fluttering in his stomach, which stopped again when Asui looked at him curiously from beside Uraraka.

It wasn't until Todoroki spoke and offered Izuku some of his yakisoba that the freckled boy realized others might have watched the silent exchange between him and Uraraka. Asui was no longer looking his way, but Izuku didn't want her to misunderstand the short interaction that had taken place, though there wasn't anything to misunderstand. Uraraka was his friend and she was just looking out for him, right? Izuku shook his head clear of the thought and tried to return his focus to his friends and their lunch. He could analyze his and Uraraka's shifting dynamics later.

* * *

It was late in the evening when Izuku's phone vibrated and alerted him of a new message. He had spent a couple of hours studying and had forgotten the time, but he could feel himself starting to grow sleepy. As he unlocked his screen he wondered who would text him after midnight and was pleasantly surprised to see a message from Uraraka.

 _Meet me downstairs?_ Her message read and Izuku instantly feared that she had been woken by a new nightmare. He replied and was out of the door in a matter of seconds. It had been a while since she asked him to come downstairs this late and Izuku hoped she was okay. Half expecting to find her curled up on the couch, Izuku was relieved to see her leaning against one of the counters in the kitchen, sipping from a mug that she put down when she saw him approach. Only the lamps above the dining tables were on and bathed her in a soft glow.

"Uraraka-san, are you okay?" Izuku headed straight to where she was standing and put his hands on her shoulders. She was wearing a tank top and the skin underneath his hands felt warm and made his fingertips tingle where they touched her. Banishing the thoughts of her skin from his mind, Izuku focused on the brunette in front of him.

"Yes? What's going on?" She asked, suddenly alarmed. Her eyes searched his face for signs of discomfort, but she was only confused when he sighed from relief and his head slumped down on one of her shoulders.

"I got your message. I thought maybe it was another nightmare. Sorry, I just got worried." Izuku spoke into her shoulder, feeling like an idiot. Although her nightmares hadn't disappeared completely, she was handling them better than before and it was unlikely that she had had another one when she had been fine the past few days.

Izuku felt her hand come to rest on his back and sucked in a breath when she started rubbing it in soothing circles. He hadn't realized their position and felt an incredible urge to straighten up and move a couple steps back, but fought it and instead stayed right where he was.

Izuku wasn't sure if he believed in the tale that an angel and a demon each inhibited a person's shoulder, but at this moment he heard no voices telling him whether it was right to stay like this or not. Instead, he could only hear the thumping of his heart in his ears and slowly moved his head so his nose was nuzzled into her neck. Izuku's hands moved down from Uraraka's shoulders and wrapped around her back, pulling her closer. If she was bothered by it, she didn't show it and just kept rubbing circles on his back until she let out a little chuckle and stopped her hand.

"Dummy, I was worried about _you_." Uraraka whispered and wiggled her arms around to fully return his embrace. Izuku buried his face deeper into her neck and discreetly inhaled the scent that always seemed to calm him.

"Why?" Izuku asked, his voice a murmur. Uraraka gave a shudder where his lips ghosted over her skin and licked her lips before replying.

"You looked so troubled today. I wasn't sure you were okay." Uraraka's voice was low and slightly husky and Izuku detected a tremor in her voice as she spoke. Her hands had grabbed the back of his shirt and tightened the hold on the fabric as she pressed closer to him.

"I'm okay. Iida-kun and Todoroki-kun looked out for me. Like you did." Izuku whispered back and lifted his head a little. He hadn't given it any thought before, but he was taller than Uraraka now and it was a little straining to keep his head bent down for so long. Izuku didn't loosen his hold on the brunette in his arms, but straightened up and noticed that her eyes were closed.

Izuku's heart skipped a beat at the sight and brought one hand up to brush some air back from her face. It had gotten a little longer and had actually tickled him when he had rested his head on her shoulder, but it still felt silky to the touch and easily slid back at his touch. Uraraka's eyes fluttered open and a soft smile spread across her features and caused Izuku's breath to hitch in his throat.

"I'm glad you're okay." Uraraka sighed and leaned in to him. She had pulled her arms away from his back and they were now resting against his chest and Izuku was terrified she would feel the frantic beating of his heart and move away from him, so he held his breath and hoped his heart rate would slow down.

For a few blissful moments she stayed in his embrace, but eventually she lifted her head from his front and looked up at him. Izuku was sure he had forgotten how to breathe when she looked at him like that with her wide brown eyes sparkling in the dim light. Before he could stop himself he bent down and pressed his lips to her forehead, making her gasp a little. With Izuku's arms still around her, she couldn't do much but wait for him to straighten up, and when he did, the green-haired boy was surprised to see a small smile on Uraraka's face. He had just kissed her without permission again, why would she be smiling at him?

"That was twice now." She told him and before he could ask her what she meant, she swiftly leaned up and pecked his cheek, effectively shutting down all function in entire being. Stunned and speechless, Izuku was unable to form a sentence and only managed a strangled sort of sound to which the brunette giggled once.

Grabbing hold of his hand, Uraraka started pulling him back towards the elevator – her mug long forgotten – and managed a few steps before Izuku finally regained the control of his legs and followed her. Her back was turned to him, but Izuku was certain he caught a glimpse of flushed cheeks.

The elevator arrived all too soon and the silence between them lingered. It wasn't a heavy silence, despite neither of them daring to address this new development of their friendship, but it felt light and meaningful. They were in no rush to start putting these new feelings into words and so when the elevator doors opened, Izuku let go of Uraraka's hand and smiled shyly at her before bidding her goodnight. The smile he got in return confirmed his suspicion that Uraraka felt the same way about their little moment as he did. With that in mind, Izuku headed to his room and went straight to bed, dreaming of giggles and hair that begged his fingers to comb through it.

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 **God I needed some fluff after the weeks I've had... Also, it is nearing exam week for me again, so updates may be infrequent again. Hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for next update! (=w=)/**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hi, I am still alive! Sorta... Thank you to all the kind reviews, they really mean a lot and motivate me to write. Should I be studying instead? Yes. Did I write another chapter instead? Absolutely. Hope you enjoy!**

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The following morning Izuku woke once again feeling better rested. He remembered having another nightmare, but this time he wasn't able to recall the contents of his dream. Stretching his limbs, the teenager slowly made his way out of bed and started his day by texting his mother. It had been a while since they had last seen each other and he still needed to tell her about his bad dreams, but he was scared of how she would react. Izuku knew that she would scold him for keeping it to himself, but a tiny part of him didn't want to admit it for fear of looking weak.

It was getting repetitive.

Izuku sighed as he put on his uniform. He was aware that he was intentionally putting off talking to his mother and he was also hoping his brief stint with nightmares would be over soon and he would be spared the conversation. The nightmares had been occurring frequently for over two months, so it was wrong to call it brief and he had promised Uraraka and Kirishima that he would get help. It all came down to facing his mother and making her think the hero profession was too dangerous and pull him out of UA. He was being a huge hypocrite and he knew it. Izuku's phone chimed and he looked down to see a text from Iida.

' _Goodmorning, Midoriya! Yaoyorozu and I have to drop by the teacher's lounge and collect printouts, so please go ahead without me. I'll see you in class!'_ He read and smiled to himself. Iida really took his duties as class representative seriously and Izuku was happy that he never faltered or complained about the workload. Iida was never late and somehow always managed to get to class before the freckled teen, no matter how early he left. Izuku suspected that Iida used his quirk to get there, but the class representative was so adamant about not misusing quirks that it had to be a secret talent he had.

Glancing at his screen, Izuku realized he would be late if he didn't hurry and finish getting ready. His hands had gotten a little steadier when he was tying his school tie, but it still came out crooked. Izuku resolved to one day tie it perfectly and would practice harder every day. It wasn't really that much of an issue, he wasn't violating dress code by any means, but it was something he wanted to improve nonetheless.

As Izuku headed downstairs and grabbed some quick breakfast, he found himself looking for Uraraka. Iida wouldn't be joining them on their way to class and Izuku was secretly happy that he could spend more time together with the brunette. He wanted to ask her advice on how to approach his mom and he also felt it was about time that they spoke about what was happening between them. Izuku had felt it full force last night and he was sure Uraraka also wasn't oblivious to it. Still, it was hard to broach the subject. They had managed to exchange a few kisses without actually addressing the intimacy or the implication of the seemingly innocent act, but Izuku was starting to feel like he was taking advantage of Uraraka and wanted to express his feelings. He wanted to make his intentions clear, even though the thought of telling her how he felt made his stomach knot.

' _A hero needs to face every challenge head-on!'_ He mentally scolded himself, but actually managed to get some of his nerves under control. Polishing off his breakfast Izuku got out of his seat and waved in passing at a sleepy Todoroki who just arrived downstairs and didn't quite look awake yet.

Izuku decided not to tempt fate and have a repeat of the incident that had landed him a trip to Recovery-Girl with the discovery that Todoroki was not to be spoken to until he was completely awake and functioning. Since the dual quirk user's eyes looked glazed over, Izuku continued on his merry way and headed out the door next to Jiro. The slight girl was walking by herself with her ears covered by her headphones and nodded a greeting to Izuku when he passed her by and called out to her. He didn't want to disturb her so he continued his trek towards the main buildings of the campus. It was a good 15 minute walk through the gardens, but Izuku was in no rush.

He spent his time thinking about how he should tell his mom about everything and how to approach Uraraka. With his mother it would be better to ease her into it, but still he had to be careful of how he worded it. Izuku badly wanted to ask All Might for help, which meant having to tell the retired hero as well. With everything that had happened, it didn't seem right to burden All Might with yet another one of his problems.

As for how to talk to Uraraka, he just had to make sure that she knew how he felt, right? Now the problem was that he wasn't entirely sure yet. Obviously he liked her, she was his best friend after all, but what he felt whenever he saw her had to be more than friendship. If Izuku had to take a guess, she also felt _something_ for him. She hadn't said anything, but her body language gave it away. Or maybe he was reading too much into it. There were a lot of factors to consider, so he sighed and tried to think of what to tell his mother instead. That had to be highest on his list of priorities at the moment. He continued walking at a comfortable pace and had walked for another 5 minutes when he spotted Uraraka crouched down next to some bushes, seemingly searching for something.

"Uraraka-san?" Izuku called cautiously, feeling butterflies take flight in his stomach. She looked up and sent him a small smile before getting to her feet.

"Good morning. Where's Iida-kun?" She asked as she dusted off her skirt and tights. She hadn't kneeled on the ground, but the brunette was afraid she had gotten her skirt dirty anyway.

"He had morning duties. Did you drop something? I can help you look. We still have some time before class starts." Izuku offered and was about to take off his bag when she stopped him.

"No, no! I just saw a rabbit and thought that maybe it was Kouda-kun's and that it had gotten out of the dorm, but its fur had the wrong color." Uraraka explained. She looked thoughtful for a second before her face lit up and she beamed at him.

"Do you want to walk to class with me?" She asked and clasped her hands behind her back. Her question didn't startle him, it was the intensity of her smile that did.

"Sure." Izuku laughed a little and fell into step with her.

Izuku was trying to bring up their evolving friendship, but Uraraka had seen something on the news that morning which she shared with him and asked his opinion on, so the conversation took a completely different turn. In the end, Izuku didn't bother bringing it up.

They were too close to school to have that conversation and while he wanted to get it out in the open, he also wanted to be prepared for that particular conversation and wanted to have a lot of time to talk. As he walked beside the bubbly brunette, Izuku realized once again how much he treasured her company and how appealing she was to him. There was no denying it, he was definitely attracted to her. That small realization was enough to make his cheeks burn and Izuku desperately hoped she wouldn't notice. As much as he wanted to tell her his feelings, he also enjoyed the unspoken, yet secretive turn their dynamic had taken and he wanted to treasure it for as long as possible.

Once they reached the classroom Uraraka went to set her bag down and was greeted by the rest of the girls that were present, so Izuku headed for his own desk and took his seat. The seat in front of him was still empty and Izuku idly wondered where Kacchan was as he started pulling out his notebook and pencil case all the while glancing towards the girls who were discussing something heatedly.

"Yo, Midoriya!" Kirishima popped up next to Izuku's table sporting a huge grin. Next to him Kaminari was smirking at the freckled boy, who immediately interpreted it as a sign of danger. With expressions like those, Izuku was certain they were up to something.

"I just noticed-" Kaminari started talking, but was interrupted by the door opening forcefully and Bakugo striding in, followed closely by Iida who called them to their seats. His bag was already at his desk, so Iida had once again managed to beat Izuku to class.

"Class is starting!" The class representative shouted from the door and headed directly to his own seat just before Aizawa-sensei entered and started homeroom. Bakugo plopped down in his seat without a word.

"All right everyone, today we'll…" Aizawa-sensei started in his usual indifferent manner. Izuku forgot all about what the boys had wanted to tell him and focused his attention on class.

* * *

The moment fourth period ended and the bell for lunch rang, Izuku was cornered by Kirishima and Kaminari before he could even close his bag. They both had a mischievous glint in their eyes and grabbed onto an arm each, practically lifting Izuku out of his seat.

"Come have lunch with us, Midoriya! Let's go outside!" Kirishima urged, already dragging the protesting boy along with Kaminari snickering beside them. Iida and Todoroki looked over curiously, but made no move to interfere with Izuku's kidnapping and instead grabbed their belongings before heading to the cafeteria. Izuku felt a tiny stab of betrayal that he filed away for later.

"But I still have to buy lunch!" Izuku struggled to walk upright with Kirishima tugging at his arm. The redhead turned and grinned at him, displaying all of his pointy teeth.

"Sero's got it covered. Now walk." Kirishima stopped pulling Izuku along and let him walk on his own, which the freckled teen was more than happy to.

Izuku's eyes flitted around the corridors, scanning for potential exits while they walked. Even if he managed to find an escape route, he was still being flanked by two of his powerful classmates and it wouldn't work in Izuku's favor if he tried to escape and they simply captured him again. At least Sero wasn't here to bind him. Still, it was better to go along with them until he figured out what they wanted of him. Izuku had no clue why the boys had asked him to eat outside instead of with the rest of their class and what they even wanted in the first place.

Izuku followed along as his two friends left the building and headed to some of the picnic tables a little way off. Sero had already claimed a table and waved them over when he spotted them coming out of the doors. Beside him was a small mountain of food waiting to be consumed, consisting mostly of sandwiches and a couple of different drinks to choose from.

"There we go. Have a seat, Midoriya. What would you like?" Kaminari had a hand on Izuku's shoulder and guided him while he sat down. Izuku wordlessly reached for the packed sandwich nearest him, not caring the least what was inside it. Kirishima and Sero sat down on the opposite side of the table while Kaminari sat down next to him.

Izuku's mind was going a mile a minute. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what the guys wanted from him. It had to be something that they couldn't talk about inside where anyone could overhear it, meaning… had they discovered the nature of his and All Might's relationship? That couldn't happen! Izuku and All Might always took their precautions when they met and All Might had made sure to oversee the training of his other classmates so no one could single him out for receiving special treatment from the former number 1. How had they guys discovered the biggest secret he had ever kept?

' _Calm down man! It's probably something else. There is no way they've discovered my secret.'_ Izuku tried to calm his frantic mind. He could feel his heart thumping hard against his ribcage and heard the rush of blood in his ears. Sweat was gathering at his hairline and his collar felt constricting around his throat. Izuku was careful to control his emotions; otherwise he could accidentally activate his quirk, which would be a major disaster in itself. UA was strict about using quirks outside of training and being caught would have dire consequences.

"You okay there Midoriya? You look a little freaked out." Sero pointed out and took a bite of his food, observing Izuku carefully. He could see his freckled classmate was feeling uncomfortable and nudged Kirishima under the table with his knee. The redhead immediately stopped bickering over drinks with Kaminari and pushed a bottle of orange juice over to Midoriya, who gratefully accepted the drink.

"We shouldn't have sprung it on you like that, huh?" The redhead laughed sheepishly and scratched his neck. He watched as Midoriya all but wrenched off the cap and took a large gulp and felt bad that they made their timid friend feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, we just want to talk." Kaminari agreed and slowly peeled away the wrapping of his food, before sinking his teeth into the bread and letting out a moan. Even UA's standard cafeteria sandwiches tasted amazing.

"About what?" Izuku stammered, relieved that he wasn't in any sort of trouble. He tentatively took a bite of his lunch and out of the corner of his eyes he saw the three guys exchange glances. Not good.

"Oh you know, just catching up and stuff." Sero replied casually in between bites. Definitely not good.

"R-right." Something wasn't right about that reply. They saw each other daily both at school and at the dorm, so what was there to catch up on? For a second Izuku worried that they knew about his nightmares and looked up at Kirishima who shook his head the tiniest bit, but it was enough to make Izuku relax. Only Kirishima knew.

"Soo, you and Uraraka huh?" Kaminari asked teasingly and made Izuku's mouth snap shut. It was like Kaminari's question hadn't quite registered in his mind, but at the same time he dreaded where this conversation was going.

"What do you mean?" The green-haired teenager tried to feign ignorance, but it must have been written all over his face since his classmates all shot him knowing smiles.

"You've gotten a lot closer." Sero observed and watched Izuku's reaction, which was to avoid eye contact and rub the back of his neck.

"We all have." He defended weakly. Izuku looked at each of his three classmates and knew he was in for it now.

"Yeah, but the two of you have gotten _awfully_ close, haven't you?" It was Kirishima's turn to tease him and Izuku was aware the other boy meant no harm. It was obvious even when his eyes were twinkling with mischief. Izuku groaned and hid his face in his hands, peeking out after a few seconds.

"How did you figure it out? I thought I was hiding t so well." Izuku managed to say without bolting. The guys hadn't discovered the secret behind his quirk, they had discovered what he had only just realized about himself.

"Hiding it?" Sero laughed like it was the best joke he had heard all day, maybe it was. Izuku hadn't exactly kept it a secret the way he was always looking for the brunette, but he had hoped that he had been discreet enough that it wouldn't get noticed. No such luck.

"Well? Spill it! How long have you two been going out?" Kaminari slung an arm over Izuku's shoulders good-naturedly. Izuku stiffened at the contact, but quickly brushed it off. He was getting better at handling casual touches and Kaminari was only being friendly, he reminded himself.

"…We are not g-going out." Izuku whispered and stared at the table, a blush creeping up his neck. He had never expected to be in this situation and wasn't sure how he should react, so he just tried to go with the flow and hopefully not look like a fool. Kaminari slowly removed his arm from Izuku's shoulders.

"What do you mean you haven't asked her out yet?!" Sero sounded almost insulted and looked shocked. He had already finished half of his sandwich, but the rest of it lay forgotten in front of him upon hearing this.

"I, uh…I don't know how?" Izuku managed to get out. His hands were resting on the table now and he fought the urge to hide his face again. He could do this, he just needed to survive until lunch ended.

"Midoriya, my man, we know just what you need." Kirishima declared and flashed another grin, while the other two cackled loudly.

* * *

 **Well, the secret is out! What do Sero, Kiri and Kaminari have in store for poor Izuku? You'll find out next week! Happy Easter (=w=)/**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Holy frick this chapter was a beast to write. I apologize for the delay, but before you rip into me, know that I had planned to publish this last week, but decided to make changes and write an additional 2000 words. Thank you to all of you who wished me luck on my exam, it went really well! Now, here is the chapter you've all been waiting for, I hope you enjoy it! One scene is heavily inspired by a comic on tumblr (A huge thank you to Rogue-Scout0130 for sending it to me!) but I couldn't find the name of the artist, so please let me know if you know their name. You will know what scene it is when you read, and the rest is my imagination running wild. Enjoy and thank you to all the love I've received on the story! It means the world to me!**

* * *

By some miracle, lunch had passed without Izuku dying from embarrassment or running away to hide until his next class began. The boys had calmly explained to him that girls needed to be wooed properly before anything resembling a relationship was in order. Izuku hadn't really considered entering a relationship before it was brought up and found himself sweating excessively at the mere thought. He had just established that he liked Uraraka and was steadily developing feelings for her, but jumping straight to a relationship was terrifying and completely out of question, so the four boys settled for asking her out.

"First of all you have to ask her on a date. Then you need to follow up with a second one where you bring her a gift to show your dedication and on the third one you can declare your undying love to her." Kaminari had drawn an entire flow chart depicting all events leading up to a confession and was pointing out various steps that apparently were key to success.

To Izuku, it was all very overwhelming and he couldn't help but think many of the included steps were unnecessary. Was dating really that complex? The freckled boy had never given it much thought, but the couples he had observed had made it look easy and effortless. Perhaps it came with time or maybe there really was some sacred ritual you needed to perform before you received the dating gods' blessing. All in all, Izuku slightly feared that he would have to do something embarrassing when he approached the brunette, but he was assured by his friends that it wouldn't get to that.

The first step of the plan was to work up the courage to invite Uraraka on a date, so that was what they four boys worked on for the remainder of the break. Sero helped Izuku practice looking confident while Kaminari helped him with how to sound suave and not stumble over his words. Kirishima acted as moral support and a stand-in for Uraraka, while he also gave feedback on Izuku's progress.

When lunch break was over, the freckled teen walked back to class with a billion thoughts swirling inside his head. He had given in to his classmates and had practiced what they thought would ensure the highest rate of success, but something about their current approach didn't sit right with Izuku. He was bothered by how alien it felt when he tried to mimic Sero's strut or Kaminari's pickup lines, but ended up pushing the thought to the back of his mind. He was, after all, completely new in the romance department and figured it would require experience before he would feel in his element like the other boys had been. Izuku left the thoughts at the door to his classroom and did his best to focus on his history class.

* * *

"Midoriya." Izuku had been about to go to the bathroom when Todoroki called out to him. He and Iida were standing by the class president's desk and waited for him to come over. It was nearing the end of the day, but the students had another break for half an hour before the final classes of the day began.

"Yes?" Izuku noted that Todoroki's brows were furrowed and took it as a sign of worry. Iida, too, was unusually quiet as the moss-haired teenager approached his two friends. He didn't miss the looks they exchanged before Iida made a small nod.

"You were gone for the whole lunch break. What did Kirishima and the others want?" Todoroki asked as his eyes flicked between Izuku and the group of boys that was currently trying to get a rise out of Bakugou – and succeeding. The blond boy looked ready to explode, no pun intended.

"Did something happen?" Iida inquired and adjusted his glasses that slipped down his nose. Izuku's heart warmed at the sight of his friends' concern and mentally noted to do something nice for them in a random act of kindness.

"No, everything is fine. I think. Kaminari-kun, Sero-kun and Kirishima-kun just wanted to help me out with something." Izuku explained with a little laugh. He was grateful to have such great friends and decided to enlist their help to figure out the jumbled mess that was his feelings.

"Help with what?" Todoroki asked straight away. Earlier that day, Shoto had overheard a snippet of conversation between Kirishima and Sero, but hadn't known what the context was. He had only heard them mention Midoriya and had been about to ask them why they had mentioned him, but the bell for class rang and he missed his opportunity.

"You see-" Izuku started but was distracted by noise from behind him. Shouting and a few explosions were heard from one side of the classroom and Iida momentarily disappeared to scold the culprits and returned to his seat immediately after.

"Sorry about that. Midoriya-kun, you were saying?" Iida apologized and nodded encouragingly to Izuku who had faltered from the distraction. Regaining his composure, Izuku thought about what to tell them. He was obviously going to tell them the truth and ask for their thoughts, but Uraraka's seat was directly behind Iida's and although the girls weren't currently inside the classroom, they could appear at any moment and he didn't want them to overhear.

"Maybe we should go outside and talk?" Izuku suggested and started feeling the slightest bit anxious. His nerves had been manageable when he was with the other boys, but were now resurfacing more intensely than before. Swallowing nervously, he led his two friends outside to a secluded spot and told them of his predicament.

* * *

The trio had found a vending machine in a nearly deserted corridor and the boys were quietly sipping on their respective drinks. Izuku had managed to admit his feelings for Uraraka to Iida and Todoroki without much trouble. It had been surprisingly easy and nowhere near as embarrassing as the freckled teen had expected. Maybe that had to do with how close he was with Todoroki and Iida, but since neither of them had reacted in shock or outrage, he took it as a good sign.

Izuku had finished his juice brick ages ago, but was idly playing with the straw as he waited for either of his friends to say something. Maybe he wasn't as relaxed as he thought. Glancing up at his friends, he felt reassured that they wouldn't mock him or make him uncomfortable.

"I'm actually not that surprised." Todoroki admitted as he took a final sip of his canned coffee. He had bought it on a whim, but the bitterness of the coffee wasn't particularly appealing to Shoto, so he finished it and tossed the empty can into the recycling bins under the watchful eye of Iida.

"You're not?" Izuku asked, mildly surprised. He had expected Todoroki to have been chocked to some degree, but when he spoke next, Izuku realized that his normally aloof friend was indeed very observant and maybe not as oblivious as everyone had him pegged.

"It makes sense that you'd develop feelings for each other. You're very close and care deeply for one another." Todoroki stated. He remembered how Uraraka had been desperate to find Midoriya a few nights ago, he was pretty sure it was love he had seen in her eyes, but hadn't been able to place it at the time.

"I agree," Iida nodded, "your friendship is evolving in a natural and logical way. Feelings of admiration and support can often lead to feelings of love. There is nothing wrong with it." The class representative adjusted his glasses for the umpteenth time, but as he pushed them back to their proper place, his eyes came to rest on Izuku, who suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"I take it you intend to act on your feelings?" Iida prompted his freckled friend, who stopped fiddling with his straw. All of the boys felt the change of air and suddenly the atmosphere felt suffocating.

"Iida." Todoroki warned his taller friend. He knew where Iida was going and found it unnecessary. The dual quirk wielder saw Midoriya's eyes widen and his shoulders tense the tiniest bit and felt annoyance seeping through him, but held his tongue. At least for now. He would intervene if Iida stepped out of line.

"Yes." Midoriya replied slowly, sounding unsure. He had never felt such a threatening vibe coming from Iida and felt his nervousness settle in the pit of his stomach. Iida was looking straight at him a look of contemplation of his face that made sweat begin to gather at Izuku's hairline.

"In that case, I hope you have thought it over carefully and are one hundred percent sincere. You are a very dear friend to me, but so is Uraraka, and I don't want her to be hurt, because you weren't absolutely sure of your feelings," he paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "If you're not serious about her, then I'll ask you to back down." Iida's words were clipped, which was very unlike the class president.

Tenya observed Midoriya who seemed to have shrunk in on himself. As his words registered with the green-haired teenager, Iida was satisfied and proud to see Midoriya's shoulders straighten and his gaze turn to steel.

"I would never hurt Uraraka-san." He declared without missing a beat. There was no stutter or waver in Midoriya's statement. Iida could clearly see his conviction and was secretly happy to that this was how he reacted upon being pressured.

Although his tone had been harsh, Tenya meant every word. He would not stand for Uraraka getting her heart broken, if Midoriya didn't take it seriously. He didn't mean to doubt his friend, but Iida had seen the way Uraraka looked at Midoriya. She held so much love for him that he doubted she was even aware of it herself, which was exactly why he didn't want her to be hurt. The heart was a fragile one, and if he could help it, hers would never be broken. He had a feeling though that Midoriya would never let it come to that.

"I'm glad to hear it." Iida said and looked down, hiding his smile. He really did want to support both of his friends and was certain they would be happy with one another, but Iida also felt it necessary to stress that they were young and nothing was set in stone, so they shouldn't rush into anything acting solely on impulse.

Midoriya looked relieved that Tenya wasn't going to stand in his way. The class president felt bad for scaring his friend and from the way Todoroki rolled his eyes, he might have overdone it, so Iida apologized for his choice of words, but Midoriya merely shook his head at the apology, claiming that there was nothing to apologize for.

When asked why, the green-haired boy flashed a bright grin before replying, "I'm happy you're looking out for Uraraka-san. You're a really good friend, Iida-kun." Iida's felt warmth spread in his chest at the praise.

"So, how are you going to go about it?" Todoroki asked, glancing at his phone and noticing there was less than ten minutes left before their next class began.

"That's the thing… Kaminari-kun and the others are making such a big deal out of it. I get that it is something special, but it seems so… complicated?" Izuku made wide gestures with his hands. Now that he had started talking, it was like the words wouldn't stop coming, "I just always thought it was supposed to be simple, you find someone you like, you ask them out and they say yes or no. All of these preparations feel unnecessary to me, but I've never asked anyone out so I don't know if they're on to something or not." He slumped back against the wall and released a sigh. He could feel Todoroki's and Iida's eyes on him and he felt a little stupid for ranting, but he had needed to get it all off his chest before he proceeded with anything.

"It does indeed sound like they are complicating things, but maybe they aren't completely wrong?" Iida mused, his arms crossed in front of him while his hand cupped his chin thoughtfully.

"You think they're right?" Todoroki scoffed. To him, it sounded like a whole load of bullshit, but he was willing to listen to Iida's reasoning before he offered his advice to Midoriya.

"I just think that Midoriya-kun shouldn't dismiss their ideas and offer for help. Maybe they really know what they are talking about. Girls are complex creatures after all; there is no telling how they'll react. I'm sorry I can't offer you better advice. I'm not well-versed in romance, but at the end of the day I think the decision is entirely up to you." Iida placed a large hand on Izuku's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Izuku smiled gratefully at his tall friend, who returned the gesture.

Todoroki frowned, mulling over Iida's words. He could see the point he was making, but at the same time it was crystal clear that both Midoriya and Uraraka harbored feelings for one another. There was no need to go through all the ridiculous steps their other classmates had suggested. He did agree with Iida on one thing though, which he told Midoriya.

"Iida is right. Whether or not you follow their suggestions, the important thing is that you do what you feel is right. No one else should have a say in the matter." Todoroki started the walk back to their classroom and turned to look at Midoriya over his shoulder, "It's your power, isn't it?" He smirked when Midoriya let out a loud laugh, the sound echoing down the hallway.

As they headed back to class Izuku decided he would stop worrying. His friends were right, as long as he did what he felt was right, nothing could go wrong. Pulling out his cell phone, Izuku opened Uraraka's contact and took a moment to stare at her name on the screen. He wanted to tell her his feelings that he was certain of. There was also a pretty big chance that she returned them and the thought made his skin tingle from anticipation. Before the nerves could hit him and make him chicken out, Izuku typed a quick message and asked her to meet him outside the dorm after dinner. That would give him enough time to get through the day without anxiousness eating away at him and it gave him an additional couple of hours to prepare whatever speech he wanted to ask her out with. At this point, Izuku didn't know what to tell her yet, only that it made excitement and nervousness course through him.

When he re-entered the classroom behind Iida and Todoroki, he caught Uraraka watching him. Lifting his hand to wave at her, he watched as she returned his wave and promptly hid her beginning giggles behind her hands which he found rather adorable. Her cheeks had reddened when she pointed to her cell phone on her desk and nodded in Izuku's direction. If he interpreted her signals correctly she had received his message and confirmed that she would meet up with him later and it lit a fire inside his chest.

They hadn't had any chance to talk since that morning and Izuku admitted to himself that he missed her company. He wanted to hear her giggle because of something he had said and he wanted her casual touches to linger. When he looked up at her again, he noticed she was watching him with a strange expression on her face that disappeared as soon as she caught him looking and was replaced with a brilliant smile. Iida and Todoroki had taken their seats and were watching their silent interaction, Izuku could have sworn he felt them watching him, but his attention returned to the brunette who was making her way towards him.

Uraraka had taken a few steps in his direction when Ashido and Hagakure pounced on her from behind and dragged her back towards the rest of the girls. At first she struggled in their grasp, but she must have realized it was futile and directed an apologetic smile in his direction. Izuku returned her smile shyly – well aware that the other girls were watching – before he made a beeline for his desk and plopped down in his seat. He lowered his head and brought his arms up to conceal his face from view while he worked on getting his uncontrollable smiling under control. It was happening. He was going to tell her.

Izuku could hear frantic whispering from the girls in the opposite corner of the room and looked over his shoulder to see them huddled together. Uraraka had her back to him, but he could tell she was embarrassed and was hiding her face in her hands while she spoke rapidly. He couldn't hear what the brunette was saying, but whatever it was it didn't convince Ashido (and Hagakure?) who merely stood with their arms across their chests. They must have felt his eyes on them, since they both looked over and he whipped his head back to face the front of the classroom. He could hear Uraraka whine behind him and Yaoyorozu speaking comfortingly, but Izuku didn't dare look back at them. He would have to ask Uraraka about it later, but for now he had to pay attention to his final classes.

Kirishima, Kaminari and Sero were gathered around one of their desks and were grinning encouragingly at him. Kaminari even gave him a thumbs up. Izuku smiled feebly at them, remembering all his conflicting emotions regarding their plan. His conflict must have translated onto his face, Izuku didn't even notice Kirishima appearing behind him and giving his back a friendly pat.

"Yo, Midoriya how're you holding up?" The redhead asked empathetically. He knew it couldn't be easily for his timid friend to be building up courage to do something as bold as they had planned, so he wanted to make sure he offered all the support he could.

"Oh, I'm doing fine I guess?" Midoriya answered, a nervous laugh escaping him. He was lucky Bakugou wasn't currently in his seat, otherwise the temperamental blond would have insulted or harassed the poor boy.

"You'll be great, don't worry about it." Kirishima gave him one of his blinding smiles that showed off all his teeth and patted his back once more for reassurance, before he left to take his seat. Present Mic had just entered and was about to start the lesson when the two boys settled in their seats and got ready to work on their English grammar for the next hour or so.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Izuku was pacing back and forth outside the dorm. All of the calm he had built up during the day had disappeared as soon as dinner and his nerves had never been worse. He had even called his mom to calm down and although he hadn't told her the details of what was going to happen it had helped a little to hear her voice and encouraging words. Now, he was a nervous wreck.

Izuku felt like throwing up. He had never asked out a girl before, he only felt his heart thundering against his ribcage. It didn't help in the least that she was running a few minutes late, so he found himself constantly checking his phone for the time and/or a new message from Uraraka. Iida had suggested he do breathing exercises every time he felt anxious and was a perfect time to perfect his techniques for calming down.

Izuku sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, pushing the negative thoughts out at the same time. He had rehearsed his speech a number of times, so there was no reason to be this nervous, he told himself. Iida and Todoroki had supported him as well as Kaminari, Sero and Kirishima. The three boys had done all they could to prepare him for the various scenarios that could unfold as their plan was set into motion and Izuku had done fairly well in all the hypothetical situations, so why couldn't he calm down now?

He had managed to continue his breathing exercises for two minutes while his thoughts raced. One moment he was confident and the next he was trying not to let his entire body tremble – it was exhausting. Izuku heard rustling in the bushes and smiled to himself. Kaminari, Kirishima and Sero had promised they would hide out and offer assistance as discreetly as possible. The freckled teen had been embarrassed at the thought that they would be watching, but when he remembered how much time and effort the boys had put into psyching him up and preparing him for this moment, he found it comforting that his friends were nearby. Todoroki and Iida had helped him stay calm in the hours up until now and he had thanked them sincerely, but they had wanted to give him privacy so they were waiting to hear from him via text or when he returned inside.

"Deku-kun, sorry I'm late!" Uraraka's voice called out to him and he whirled around to see her running towards him. Izuku felt his heart leap into his throat at the sight of her flushed cheeks as she approached him and his brain ceased functioning. She came to a halt in front of him and bent over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

"I hope you didn't wait long, I was just on my way when- Deku-kun? Are you okay?" Uraraka straightened up, still panting slightly and watched him curiously. She inched closer and reached out a hand towards him, but decided against it and let it drop back to her side.

Izuku was trying his hardest to open his mouth and say something, say _anything_ , but his mouth was glued shut. He watched as she pushed some hair back behind her ear and wished he was the one who did it. The fading sunlight glinted off her brown doe eyes and made them sparkle, which in turn made Izuku's legs turn to jelly. How had he not realized his attraction to this girl sooner? She looked so pretty without even trying and he couldn't help but stare at her. He tried desperately to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out. He had practiced so many times today and it was all for naught because he became tongue-tied the second he saw her.

"Deku-kun?" Uraraka asked again, amusement twinkling in her eyes. She had seen how he kept opening and closing his mouth and found the sight funny.

From the corner of his eyes, Izuku saw his friends peak out from behind the bushes. He was lucky they had chosen to hide somewhere behind Uraraka, so she couldn't see them gesturing madly to him. He saw Kaminari mouth something that looked like 'lines'. What lines? Did he have any lines? Oh right, the ones he had practiced!

"Uraraka-san, I…uh…" He started, but forgot the ability to formulate longer sentences. Uraraka tilted her head to the side and waited patiently for him to continue. She had heard from Iida that Deku had a lot on his mind lately and she assumed that was what he was trying to tell her about. While the hidden boys signaled all kinds of encouragement to him, Izuku slowly regained control of himself and found his voice again.

"Uraraka-san, d-did you change my center of gravity? 'Cause I can't help being attracted to you." Izuku blurted without thinking. He couldn't believe he had used one of Kaminari's lines on her, he had just wanted to tell her the reason why he asked her to come! Izuku was so embarrassed he could feel his face blazing as he wished for a hole in the ground to open and swallow him.

One second passed, Uraraka didn't react. Another second passed and her face started turning red. A third second passed and she let out a squeaky noise and hid her face in her hands. Izuku watched helplessly as the brunette's feet lifted off the ground and she curled into a ball that started floating away. Izuku looked over his shoulder at his friends, who were all gaping at the scene before them. Clear as a day, Izuku heard Todoroki's voice in his mind, telling him to do what he thought was right. Before any of them could say something, Izuku leaped into action.

With One for All coursing through him, he jumped into the air following the brunette who was still floating further away and circling around herself. Using a nearby lamppost as a temporary perch, Izuku stopped for a second before making one last jump that would bring him to the floating girl. Once he was within reach, Izuku grabbed Uraraka as carefully as he could and looked for somewhere safe to land. She made a startled noise and clung to him.

"Deku-kun?!" She exclaimed, her voice high-pitched. The roof the gym came into view and Izuku maneuvered the brunette around so he had one arm behind her back and one under her knees.

"Hold on." He told her and concentrated on regulating his power in his calves so they could land as smoothly as possible. They were still airborne when the roof came into landing distance and Izuku had to twist them around and use an air blast to accelerate their descent. The second he fired off his blast, he turned back and felt the surge from the added force that he used to safely land on top of the roof.

He had been forced to let go of Uraraka's legs when getting them down, but now he had the brunette gathered safely in his arms. Her face was still tinged red, he noticed as he looked her over for any possible injuries. When he didn't see any, he let out a silent sigh of relief and gingerly set her down on the ground. She still had her hands clenched in the fabric of his shirt even as she stood on her own two feet, but was staring firmly at the ground.

"Well, that didn't go as planned…" She heard Midoriya chuckle next to her ear. She chanced a look at him and saw him looking off to the side. His hands were resting on her shoulders and they stood so close to each other she could feel his breath on her face when he turned to look at her again. Ochaco felt her face burning and continued staring at their feet. She felt him take a deep breath before addressing her.

"Uraraka-san." His hands slowly covered hers and he gently pried them open and guided them down so he could easily hold them. Deku's hands were warm and felt so big around her own. His calloused skin moved along hers and Ochaco ignored the tingling sensation she felt and instead looked at his scars that stood white against the rest of his hands.

"I… The reason I asked you to meet me was because, I… err, you see I had a question I've been wanting to ask you for a while now, and um, the timing has never been right, and uh, I just… I just really needed to ask you and the others tried helping me and I completely blanked out, and, uh I'm rambling now," Midoriya was stuttering and stumbling his way through the sentences and Ochaco looked up to see a furiously blushing Deku. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and it didn't help one bit that he looked so nervous as he rambled.

"So, what I've been meaning to ask you is… Oh God, how am I supposed to say this?" Deku groaned and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to recollect his thoughts.

"Say what?" Ochaco asked and felt her heart constrict when his brilliant green eyes opened and met hers before he took another deep breath.

"W-will you be my girlfriend?" The words were out before he could stop them and both teenagers gasped when he said them. Izuku, because he had only been meaning to ask her on a date and Ochaco, because she couldn't quite believe what he had just asked her.

"Your g-girlfriend?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. Ochaco's heart hammered in her chest and she felt her knees go weak when he nodded and bit his lip. He looked at her for a second, then started down at their entwined hands.

"I like you, Uraraka-san. A lot. And I only realized recently how much you meant to me, and of course I don't want our friendship to be affected by this, but I have feelings for you and I c-can't ignore them any longer." Deku told her, his voice growing stronger as he spoke and he squeezed her hands lightly. He lifted his head and met her eyes,

Ochaco couldn't believe it. Deku had asked her to be his girlfriend, he was holding her hands and looking at her hopefully and her heart melted at the sight. This boy, this kind, sweet and selfless boy had feelings for her? And he was asking her to be his girlfriend? Ochaco felt so many emotions rushing through her, but the most prominent one was elation. He had asked her to be his girlfriend! Ochaco didn't have any doubts about her answer and she looked up at him, into those wonderful green eyes of his before she spoke.

"Yes." She told him breathlessly, still overwhelmed with emotions. She watched as his entire face lit up and he repeated what she had said.

"Yes?"

"Yes!" She laughed, unable to contain her happiness. Deku let go of her hands and ran them through his hair repeating her answer over and over. His face was still flushed and she guessed that hers was just as red, but she didn't care. The only thing she could think about was Deku and how ridiculously happy he looked. She felt warmth seep through her when he looked up and with beaming smile and flung his arms around her.

Ochaco leaned against his chest and listen to his heartbeat. It was slightly faster than normal, but she couldn't blame him when her own heart had been threatening to jump straight out of her chest just moments ago. Deku's arms tightened around her and she felt him let out a shaky laugh.

"I can't believe it." He told her when she stopped leaning on him and looked up to meet his eyes. She loved seeing his goofy smile stretched across his face and giggled when he asked her to pinch him, a request she was happy to fulfill.

Izuku yelped in pain when she pinched the sensitive skin of his underarm, but didn't mind it once he heard her tinkering laughter. It was quickly becoming his favorite sound and he silently vowed to make her laugh as often as possible. She settled back in his embrace and let out a content sigh.

"It feels like a dream." Ochaco felt his arms tighten around her for a second and then Deku's grip loosened. He looked at with a small smile and brought a hand up to push some of her hair behind her ear, but his hand stayed at the side of her face, slowly tracing along her jaw.

"Uraraka-san… can I… can I k-kiss you?" He asked quietly. She saw the way his eyes flickered between her lips and back to her eyes and felt a flutter in her stomach. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to _kiss_ her. Ochaco's tongue darted out and wet her lips before she nodded slowly. She hadn't realized how badly she wanted to kiss him too before he asked.

Slowly, Ochaco inched forward and watched with anticipation as he did the same. Oh god, his face was so close to her! She felt him caress her face and pushed down her panicked thoughts. His expression was soft and he stopped a few inches before their lips touched and looked at her for confirmation. Ochaco felt her heart skip a beat. He was still asking her permission! This gentle boy was making sure she was comfortable and suddenly she felt the urge to kiss him increase ten-fold. Closing her eyes, Ochaco closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his in a sweet, short kiss.

She pulled back and saw that his eyes remained closed, but a smile was playing it his lips. He looked so happy that she couldn't resist kissing him again. His arm tightened across her back and pulled her closer, and she felt him breathe heavily once she pulled back.

"Deku-kun..." She whispered and placed her hands on his shoulders, gripping on for dear life. Their first kiss had been so sweet and magical and Ochaco felt weak from it. He chuckled and hugged her again, burying his face in her neck. He quietly breathed a sigh of relief and she shuddered when a breeze hit them.

"We should get going." Deku mumbled and slowly rose to his full height. He had removed his arms from around her, but offered her his hand instead.

"Yeah." She breathed and accepted his hand. What Ochaco didn't expect was that Deku would pull her against him, pick her up like he had before and jump from the roof and back down to the ground.

She squealed when he suddenly lifted her into the air and wrapped her arms tightly against his neck. She felt his chest rumble with laughter as he landed on the ground in front of the gym and placed her back down. Once again, he offered her his hand and when she took it, he entwined their fingers and started leading her back towards the dorm.

* * *

 **It finally happened! Holy moly I've written and re-written this over and over, but I can finally say that I am satisfied. What do you think? I hope you all have an amazing weekend, much love from Tito (=w=)/**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: I'm sorry it has taken over a month to update, but I've really struggled with writing this chapter until I was satisfied and I've also been insanely busy with school and work. I have an exam coming up in two weeks time so I probably wont update before then. Next chapter is the last one and this update is a buffer between the previous and the next one, so please be patient while I write the next one. Thank you so, so much for all the wonderful reviews you've left me, you have no idea how much they mean to me! You are the best readers I've ever had! I hope you enjoy the second to last chapter!**

* * *

Ochaco's day had started as it usually did. She had woken up, browsed the news and checked the sales before she got out of bed and got ready for school. Breakfast had been with the other girls as usual and then she had headed to classes after she briefly crossed paths with Midoriya. During the day the brunette had tried her best to pay attention to her teachers, but her mind had been wandering all over the place. She had spent a great deal of time thinking about the little girl Eri's impending rescue and an equally big amount of time thinking about Deku.

The brunette continuously found her eyes drifting towards him and she had to force herself to look up at the blackboard, but no matter what she did, Deku invaded her thoughts. Ochaco knew she was crushing on him hard and she had a feeling he also had developed feelings for her. Just from watching his interaction with other girls, it was clear that Ochaco was special to him. There were also all the instances where they had shared kisses as of late, so the brunette was confident that he returned her feelings.

She watched him form the corner of her eye and was careful not to be caught staring, the other girl would tease her to no end if they found out about how close she had gotten with Deku. Ochaco turned her head the slightest and saw the object of her affection frown in concentration as he chewed on the end of his pencil. He must have found the answer to whatever question had been asked for his entire face lit up with excitement and his hand shot straight up in the air to answer.

Ochaco adored this side of him. He always worked so hard and inspired others to do the same. The few classmates he had tutored – including herself – had all improved their grades and had made Midoriya so happy with the results. The brunette returned her gaze to her desk and did her best to focus her attention back to the lesson. In front of her Iida was scribbling away in his notebook and flipping the pages in the textbook at inhuman speed until he found what he was looking for. Ochaco took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She couldn't afford to fall behind when Deku and Iida had spent so much time helping her. With renewed resolve she started filling out the pages in her notebook.

During lunch Ochaco wanted to eat with Deku and Iida, but her green-haired friend was dragged away by Kirishima and Kaminari, which was an odd sight. Brushing it aside, Ochaco headed to the cafeteria with Tsuyu, Iida and Todoroki and spent her break with them. Despite being engaged in conversation, she constantly found herself searching the cafeteria for a mop of green hair and freckles. She only saw him again when lunch break was almost over and she had returned to the classroom.

For their afternoon break, he disappeared with Iida and Todoroki and returned after a while, lagging behind his two friends. His face was tinged red for some reason when he entered and Ochaco was itching to ask where he had been, since neither Iida nor Todoroki had known where he had disappeared off to during lunch. Deku looked up just as the brunette was about to call out to him and waved a little. Ochaco had barely taken a step forwards when she was interrupted by someone behind her.

"Uraraka~, come with us for a second." Mina called in a singsong voice before wrapping her arms around Ochaco's waist and dragging her backwards.

The brunette let out a protesting noise, but Mina was ridiculously strong for a slim girl and easily dragged her away. Ochaco looked pleadingly at Deku who had paled at the sight of Mina's forcefulness. Poor Midoriya stood frozen in the doorway while Ochaco mentally prepared herself for an interrogation. She had felt eyes on her all day long and was prepared for the onslaught of questions the other girls might have for her.

Once they had reached the back of the classroom, Ochaco was released from Mina's grip and was instead circled by all the girls. Tsuyu steadied Ochaco with a comforting pat on the back and the brunette sucked in a deep breath when Ashido spoke in a hushed tone.

"Sooo, we've all noticed that something is going on between you and Midoriya and we want to know if you two are dating!" Her question came out as an excited statement and Ochaco had to fight the flush that threatened to overtake her features.

"N-no, it's nothing like that." She replied, feeling nervous. The girls weren't stupid. It would be impossible to deny that there was _something_ between her and Deku, but Ochaco didn't want to admit how close they had gotten or that they've been close to kissing a couple of times. It was too intimate and the brunette felt like she would betray Deku's trust if she told the girls everything.

"Then what?" Jiro prompted, surprisingly curious. She had also noticed chemistry between her classmates and how Uraraka's behavior changed around Midoriya. It was pretty obvious that their feelings were mutual, but if neither of them took the initiative to do something about it, they would spend all their time pining after each other.

"You don't have to answer of you don't want to, Ochaco-chan." Tsuyu spoke up and offered the brunette a way out. Clearly, all the questions were making Ochaco uncomfortable and even if Tsuyu wanted the brunette to be honest about her feelings, she didn't want her friend to feel pressured into sharing something so personal.

"…I…Uh…" Ochaco wracked her brain for something that would satisfy her friends. Even if they were being nosy, she knew their intentions were good and they were likely trying to help her figure out her love life, but Ochaco felt a strange surge of hesitation wash over her. She was grateful that they wanted to help, but her feelings for Deku were something she wanted to sort out for herself, so she was trying to think of some way to tell them that, but kept turning up empty.

When Uraraka failed to put it into words, Momo took pity on the flustered girl and gave her a small push in the right direction, "You like Midoriya-san, right?"

The vice president of 1A watched as color flooded the brunette's cheeks and didn't need any other confirmation from her friend. The rest of the girls quieted down when Uraraka gave the tiniest of nods and waited for her as she gathered courage to speak.

"I like him." She whispered and confirmed their suspicions. Although they were talking quietly, Ochaco looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation.

"So go tell him!" Mina and Tooru chorused and folded their arms across their chests. They had noticed a while ago that the brunette had a crush on their dorky classmate, and it had taken her so long to admit it. Uraraka could be so dense sometimes.

"No! Not yet… I'm not ready and I'm not sure he returns my feelings." Ochaco stalled for time with her half-lie. She wasn't unsure of Midoriya's feelings for her, but the truth was that she wasn't ready to properly face him and tell him. Tsuyu rubbed circles on her back, always a pillar of constant support.

"It's okay, you don't have to rush," Yaomomo put a hand on Ochaco's arm and spoke softly, "we just want you to know that we support you and if you need help, you can rely on us." When Uraraka nodded, Momo looked pointedly at the rest of the girls. No one was to ask Uraraka any more questions about Midoriya, and Momo held their gazes until they each nodded their agreement.

* * *

It was hours later in the afternoon and Deku had asked to meet up with her after dinner. Ochaco hadn't had the chance to speak to him since that morning and she was excited about seeing him again. She had been hanging out with the girls in the park next to the dorm and it was nearly time for her to meet with Deku. Her heart started beating faster when she thought about him and she had to shake her head to regain her composure. It didn't help the slightest that Mina and Kyouka (and Tooru?) were watching her like hawks.

"I wonder why Midoriya called her out like that, could it be a confession of love?" Mina made a show of whispering to Tooru who giggled in return. Ochaco felt her face heat up.

"Maybe they'll _kiss_!" The invisible girl suggested and flailed her arms around with excitement.

"Maybe he wants to discuss homework." Tsuyu, always the voice of reason, piped in. She had a hunch that Midoriya was going to tell Ochaco his feelings for her, but she kept quiet instead of indulging the others.

"Uraraka-san, don't mind them. You'll be late if you don't go now." Yaoyorozu came to Ochaco's rescue for the second time that day and gave the girl some time to take some deep breaths, before sending her off.

"Maybe they'll-" Ashido had been about to say something indecent, but Jiro covered the pinkette's mouth with her hand, much to Mina's protests. Kyouka had spoken to Kaminari earlier that day and knew what the boys had been up to, but she didn't want to make Uraraka nervous by having her listen to Ashido's lewd comments. Yaoyorozu rounded on Mina and Tooru and scolded them for teasing Uraraka so much. Little did the pinkette know that her initial guess had been right.

* * *

Deku's hand was so big and warm as it engulfed Ochaco's, she was sure she would faint from happiness. He had asked her to be his girlfriend! Even if it was a spur of the moment, it had still happened and Ochaco couldn't be happier. She had not expected Deku to be the one asking her out, since he was so shy, but looking up at him the brunette couldn't help but feel a wave of affection wash over him. His gaze was fixed at some point in front of them, but he must have noticed that she was looking at him for his eyes met hers and he squeezed her hand.

She had been so distraught because of what the girls had been saying that she hadn't expected her crush to actually make the first move. He must have been nervous, his hands had been shaking while they spoke and although he looked relieved, there was also a look of disbelief on his face.

"What are we going to tell the others?" Deku asked suddenly and brought her out of her reverie. Looking up at him, Ochaco could tell that he was starting to feel nervous at the prospect of their classmates asking about their new relationship and wanted to put his mind at ease.

"We don't have to tell them if you don't want to." Ochaco hated the sting of hurt she felt in her chest at her words. Deku was her boyfriend now and that was enough for her until he felt ready to tell everyone else. He had done so much to make her feel comfortable and he was always so supportive, so she would return the favor by waiting. Ochaco had been about to extract her hand from his when she felt him hold onto her even tighter.

"It's not that! I want the whole world to know," he stopped walking and looked her in the eyes, "but it happened so fast and it's still a little embarrassing, so I don't know what to tell the others." He assured her. Poor Deku was doing his best to be brave in an unfamiliar situation and she felt so bad for thinking he wanted to keep her a secret.

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out." Ochaco gave him the most convincing smile she could manage and felt satisfied when he returned her gesture. She had wanted to hug him or even kiss his cheek, but they had just kissed minutes ago and she was worried she was overdoing it, so she settled for smiling. Also, she loved Deku's smiles and she felt her heart flutter. Man, she had it bad for this boy.

Deku resumed walking and in a flash they were standing in front of the doors to the dormitory. They paused outside for a moment and looked at each other, before taking a deep breath.

"Maybe they've all gone to bed?" Ochaco suggested hopefully. She wasn't ready to be haggled about what had happened and she was sure to be teased mercilessly, but Deku took another deep breath before pushing the doors open. It turned out that the rest of their class hadn't gone to bed, but were gathered in the common area instead, in heated discussion about something. When they noticed Deku and Ochaco enter hand in hand, they erupted into cheers and ran forward to congratulate them.

"Maybe not." Deku managed to whisper before their friends were over them.

"He did it! You did it! I'm so proud!" Kirishima slapped Izuku on the back and grinned widely. He had been worried when Midoriya had jumped away after a floating Uraraka and had returned to the dorm to wait for them.

"I knew you had it in you!" Kaminari told him and flashed a thumbs up. Sero also clapped him on the back and retreated a little so the others could step closer.

"Congratulations. I'm happy for both of you, ribbit." Tsuyu hugged Uraraka and said something in a low voice that Izuku didn't catch, but he quickly forgot about it when he heard an outrageous shout from the most lecherous of the bunch.

"Midoriya landed Uraraka! Lucky bastard, he went for the big che-" Mineta was swiftly silenced by a deadly dual attack from Tsuyu and Jiro. Iida promptly turned up to chew him out for improper congratulations.

"Congratulations you two!" Yaoyourozu stepped forward after wrinkling her nose in distaste at Mineta.

"Thanks?" Izuku was completely overwhelmed by the amount of attention he was getting. The only thing that kept him grounded and prevented him from running away and hiding in his room, was Uraraka's firm grip on his hand.

Izuku glanced in her direction and saw that the girls were having a blast teasing her. Poor Uraraka had turned beet red after something Ashido had said and she refused to meet Izuku's eyes.

Iida, having finished lecturing Mineta, came forward and placed a heavy hand on Izuku's shoulder, "Congratulations Midoriya-kun, Uraraka-kun! I'm so happy for you." He beamed at them and Izuku found himself laughing with relief.

"Congrats." Todoroki stood next to Izuku and gave them a small smile, before making way for the rest of their classmates. Apparently, everyone was present – even the sullen looking Bakugo who was hanging back while the rest cooed and cheered.

"You're the first official couple in our year." Aoyama said as a way of congratulating them and went off on a tangent about how fabulous they looked together, but they were no match for him, but still he was so happy for them.

Izuku and Ochaco exchanged glances and burst out laughing. They had been worried for nothing! They had somehow ended in the middle of the living room and people were gradually falling back, but still hung around and talked to each other.

At last, everyone except for Bakugo had applauded them and Kaminari had walked up to him so he also could wish them well. He could have spared the effort. Bakugo had been trying to leave for the past five minutes and had kept being stopped by the others and it was grating on his nerves.

"Aren't you surprised?" Kaminari asked cheerfully, completely oblivious to Bakugo's building irritation. Izuku had known Kacchan for years and knew the blond was nearing his limit, so he reached a hand out to stop Kaminari from setting off the furious blond.

"Well, it was fucking obvious." He snapped and stalked off. He had known for weeks that Deku was pining after Uraraka and Katsuki was no idiot, he had seen how she turned red in his presence. He was surprised that they didn't take all fucking year to get together.

"I think that meant 'Congratulations' in Bakugouese." Kirishima laughed and rubbed the back of his neck for a second as the blond stomped away, muttering under his breath about the 'two idiots finally got a fucking grip', but quickly returned to his good mood.

The class had gotten used to Bakugo's temper and it seemed no one was bothered by his comment. Izuku let out a silent breath of relief and felt Uraraka squeeze his hand reassuringly. He was grateful that she hadn't let go of his hand yet and he wondered when they would be allowed to go back to their rooms. Uraraka's eyes searched his face for signs of discomfort and tugged at his hand, silently asking if he was okay. Izuku felt a wave of relief and happiness hit him and he nodded, before leaning close to her ear.

"I'm okay." He whispered and she nodded with a small smile, happy that he had understood her unspoken question.

"Ewww, they're making googly eyes at each other!" Mina complained loudly with Kirishima and Tooru, who were joining her with outrageous exclamations. Izuku felt his face heat up and looked down at the floor to his embarrassment.

"All right everyone, let's give them some space." Yaoyorozu raised her voice and shooed their loud and mischievous classmates away. Tsuyu asked them if they were going to be okay and retreated with the rest of the class when Ochaco nodded.

"I feel so drained all of a sudden." Izuku whispered to Uraraka, who nodded in agreement. It had been nothing less than tiring to be greeted by the entire class, and although she would always think fondly back to it, right now she just wanted peace and quiet.

"Do you want to come to my room?" Izuku asked, feeling shy all of a sudden. Uraraka had been in his room countless times already, but that before she became his girlfriend and now the thought made him nervous, embarrassed and excited all at the same time.

"Yes." Ochaco replied gratefully. It had been a long day and although she was tired, she wanted to spend some more time alone with Deku. As they headed towards the elevator, they passed Mineta who had overheard their conversation and wasted no time telling it to everyone else.

"Guys! They're going to do it in Midoriya's room!" The tiny leech screamed and the new couple froze in their tracks, wishing for a giant hole to open and swallow them whole. Mineta's eyes were bugging out and everyone swore they saw him foam at the mouth, which made most of the girls take a few steps back.

"They will do no such thing! That's preposterous!" Iida protested and zoomed past Midoriya and Uraraka, shooting them an apologetic look, before he verbally ripped into Mineta. In the background, Kirishima handed Todoroki some bags of popcorn that he popped with his quirk and distributed to the onlookers, who quietly watched the show.

"Maybe we should go for a walk instead?" Ochaco suggested, feeling like she would die from embarrassment. She still refused to let go of Deku's hand, but he looked very much like he wanted to run away and never show his face again. He nodded and she quietly led him back out of the door.

The evening wind felt soothing on their burning skin and both sighed contently before they started to walk aimlessly hand in hand. They spent a good deal of time cooling down and were talking all the time. It felt surreal to both of them and they eventually sat down on a bench and released each other's hands.

"Do you think Mineta-kun will survive?" Izuku wondered and watched as Uraraka grimaced.

"Is it bad that I hope he doesn't?" She joked and was delighted when Midoriya guffawed. That was good, he seemed to be recovering from Mineta's ridiculous accusation. There was no way they were going to do… _that_ in Deku's room – the idea was entirely absurd, right? Ochaco glanced at Deku who had started telling her about how he had been kidnapped by Kirishima and the others earlier and Ochaco violently banished the thoughts from her mind. She couldn't stop her face from heating up and she felt so horrible for thinking indecent thoughts a day into her relationship.

Midoriya didn't notice her distress and kept telling her about the stupid things the boys had made him practice and eventually Ochaco forgot about her embarrassment and found herself crying from laughter at Deku's predicaments. They stayed outside for a long time, talking and laughing before they decided they needed to head inside. It was a weekday and they had school the day after, so they had to finish their homework and go to bed soon.

They quietly made their way back to the dorm and entered. This time they weren't ambushed by their friends and the few stragglers that were still down in the common area just sent them encouraging smiles. As they entered the elevator together and pressed their respective buttons for their floors, Izuku summoned all his remaining courage and leaned down to kiss Uraraka on the forehead and wished her goodnight before he basically sprinted out of the elevator and left a blushing Ochaco behind.

* * *

The week had finally come to an end and Izuku was headed home to visit his mother and Coco. He had called her the previous day with the intent of telling her about Uraraka, but had decided he wanted to tell her in person instead. She was his mother and she deserved to be told the good news face to face rather than over the phone. That and also the prospect of Inko bawling her eyes out from happy tears made Izuku want to be present and prevent her from fainting.

The days had passed in bliss and Izuku had enjoyed every moment he had spent with his girlfriend. Even the thought of her summoned a wide smile to his face and he found himself constantly wanting to spend time with her. Uraraka had wanted to come with him and tell his mother, but she had been stuck studying for a test they were taking Monday morning. The girls had complained that she spent all her time with Izuku and was neglecting them, so she had apologized to him and stayed behind.

"Here goes." The freckled teen mumbled to himself before unlocking the door and entering. As soon as he stepped inside, Coco was there to rub against his leg with a loud mewl. Izuku bent down to quickly stroke her fur before removing his shoes.

"I'm home." He called out. He heard rustling from the living room followed by footsteps and a moment later his mother appeared in the entrance with a warm smile.

"Welcome back." She replied. Coco abandoned Izuku in the entrance and darted past his mother, disappearing into the living room and leaving mother and son. Inko was wearing her favorite slippers that Izuku had gifted her for her birthday the previous year and he felt a sense of accomplishment at the sight.

"Hi mom." Izuku reached for his mother and engulfed her in a tight hug like he always did. It had been a while since he had last visited and he could tell how much Inko had missed him from the way she gripped onto him and kissed his forehead. Ruffling his hair lightly she finally let him go and went inside.

"How have you been?" Inko inquired as they headed into the living room and sat down on the couch with her darling son. Izuku had grown another couple of inches – she could tell even when he was sitting down – and his shoulders were also broader than before.

"I'm doing better than before." Izuku started slowly. There were a couple of things he wanted to tell his mother, but he hadn't planned how to bring them up beforehand, so he was struggling with how to broach the subject.

Now he saw an opportunity to reveal the one thing that had been on his mind a lot lately. He turned somewhat in his seat to better face his mother. She looked well-rested and there were no worry lines on her face. Izuku knew of her tendency to fret and get caught up in her worries to the point of exhaustion, but she seemed completely fine, so he threw caution to the wind and went ahead with his revelation.

"Something good happened this week." He said. She had put two bowls of his favorite snacks on the table and pushed them closer to him as she poured them a drink each.

"Really?" She asked curiously. Once she handed him the cup, she leaned back with her own drink and focused her attention on Izuku, who seemed to be studying her intensely. He had already drained his cup and placed it back on the coffee table, he must have been thirsty.

Taking in her appearance, Izuku tried to predict what her reaction would most likely be and decided there was a very small chance of her fainting, so he took a deep breath before meeting her eyes.

"Uraraka-san and I, uh, started dating." Izuku held his breath and waited for his mother to react. She blinked once when his words registered and her entire face lit up. Inko wasted no time pulling her son into a hug and squeezing him tightly.

"You and Ochaco! Congratulations Izuku! I'm so happy for you!" She gushed and let go of him before he started suffocating. When he was younger, he had always complained that she hugged him so tightly that he couldn't breathe, but now he just rubbed the back of his neck with a small smile.

"Thanks Mom." Izuku only felt a little embarrassed and it was certainly becoming easier to tell others about his new girlfriend. Inko was still over the moon and had started asking a lot of rapid-fire questions making Izuku forget what to answer when.

"How long have you been going out? When did you realize that you liked her? Did Ochaco tell you first? Have you been on a date yet?" Inko was so excited she couldn't help but ask all the questions at once. Izuku did his best to answer everything and Inko loved how his shy side came out as he addressed each of her questions.

"Um, we just started dating a few days ago, so we haven't been on our first date yet." Izuku explained. They had briefly talked about going out on Sunday, but other than that they had no real plans, he told her. Inko looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded, the action leaving Izuku puzzled as he continued.

"I don't know when I started liking her. I only recently realized it, but it might have been for a long time now." Izuku laughed sheepishly. Inko smiled kindly in return. She had suspected as much the first time she saw Izuku and Ochaco interact.

"When you brought Ochaco home last time, I got the impression that she cared deeply for you. I am happy you both realized your feelings for each other." Inko patted his head like she used to do when he was younger, and she was happy to see that he still leaned into her touch and snuggled into her side.

"Me too." Izuku's voice was tender and his expression softened and he put his head on her shoulder, exhaling soundly. Although they were close, it must have taken its toll on Izuku to tell her something so personal without holding back.

A year ago he would have been a blushing, stuttering mess, but he had grown so much since entering high school and Inko loved his new found confidence that peeked through his personality more frequently as of late. She had a feeling Ochaco, Iida and the rest of Izuku's friends were to thank for his personal growth and Inko silently vowed to bring the kids home so she could thank them personally and treat them to a feast. She would also have to congratulate Ochaco and give the brunette her blessing. Inko was certain the young girl would make her son happy, and she was looking forward to growing closer with Ochaco.

"What do you want to do on your first date?" His mother asked. Inko knew that Izuku had never been on a date before and if he hadn't thought of anything, she would be happy to help give him ideas.

"I just want to spend time with her." Izuku mumbled and looked away as a blush crept up his neck. He knew that his mom was extremely happy for him and that she just wanted to help, but he was still getting used to being in a relationship so it wasn't that easy for him to talk about without getting embarrassed. The knowing smile Inko sent him didn't help either. They sat quietly for a while before Inko spoke again.

"Oh that's right honey; there is something we need to discuss first."

* * *

 **Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger, but it's worth it, honestly! Thank you so much for all your support, until next time (=w=)/**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: It is finally here. The finale that you've been waiting for. Thank you so much for your patience, lovely reviews and encouragement. I've been writing here for seven years and by far , you guys have been the best friggin' readers ever. Thank you for coming along on this journey and giving me an opportunity to tell my story. I hope you will show me the same support in the sequel ;) This chapter might not be what you were hoping, but I had to make some decisions regarding the plot, so I hope you will forgive me anyway. Thanks again and enjoy!**

* * *

"Discuss?" Izuku asked, not sure where their conversation was headed. He was convinced that his mother would never tell him to break it off with Uraraka, she had been so excited just minutes ago, but now she was looking kind of serious and it threw him off.

"I know that this is your first girlfriend and that you are both young, but there are things that you need to be careful about." Inko started off so calmly that Izuku felt his stomach churn. Something was wrong – he could feel it all the way into his soul.

"We need to talk about sex and how you-" She put a comforting hand on her son's arm, not aware of the effect her words had on him.

"MOM!" Izuku all but screamed and flung himself onto the opposite end of the sofa. It felt like his face was on fire and he wanted to jump out of the nearest window. Since his mom lived on the fourth floor, a jump like that would be fatal unless he used his quirk to save himself. With the direction their conversation was taking, he wasn't sure he was going to.

"I'm not- We're not going to- We don't!" Izuku could have died from embarrassment right then and there.

"Hush, you. You're both teenagers and hormones can do funny things to your minds. I know that you're a responsible person and that you and Ochaco are going slow, but intimacy is a normal part of a relationship and I just want you to be prepared." Inko explained and smiled inwardly at Izuku's extreme embarrassment. Her son had grabbed a cushion from behind him and was using it to cover hide his face.

"Mom, please!" Izuku pleaded, on the verge of tears. He had resolved to be completely honest with his mom that day and he should have seen it coming that he would have to listen to 'the talk'. Izuku was a bright boy and he already knew how reproduction worked, so technically speaking he didn't _need_ to have this conversation.

"No." Scratch that, Izuku didn't _want_ to have the talk. For the next forty minutes, he tried his best to become one with the couch and tried not to die from sheer embarrassment. He would never be able to face Uraraka again and their relationship was only a few days old.

"I am telling you this so that you are prepared and know what to do, Izuku. I am happy that you are taking it slow and I want you to treasure Ochaco always. Just don't get scared of getting closer to her." Inko leaned over and dropped a kiss on the top of his head and got up to prepare dinner.

Izuku stayed on the sofa for a while, absorbing what his mother had told him.

Was he scared of getting closer to others? Sure, he had never been good at making friends before coming to UA, but Izuku thought himself decent at getting to know others. Maybe it was different when it came to having a girlfriend? He was pretty sure his feelings for Uraraka were quickly evolving into more than simply liking her. He also wasn't blind to the fact that he was physically attracted to her, she was a pretty girl after all, but would he be scared of intimacy? He had liked holding hands and kissing her, so that was okay, right?

A little ball of fur jumped onto his lap and yawned widely, before curling around itself and settling into a nap. Coco's warmth and slight weight on his legs made him smile and he remembered how happy Uraraka had been when she met the kitten. Maybe he should bring her over again? His mother had also been asking so many questions about Uraraka every time they spoke, she would probably be happy to see her again. But if his mom started asking her embarrassing questions or also gave her the talk, he would never live it down. Maybe it was a bad idea the first few months.

"Izuku, could you give me a hand with this jar?" His mother called to him from the kitchen and startled him out of his thoughts.

"Of course!" Izuku carefully lifted Coco off his lap, hating the fact that he had to disturb her sleep and went to help his mom. Luckily, the kitten was a heavy sleeper and didn't mind being jostled a little.

Dinner passed peacefully and after calming down, Izuku spent the time laughing and sharing stories of his friends back at the dorm. Poor Tokoyami had become victim to the other boys trying to do laundry and had found all his white clothes had been tinted blue. There had been another video game tournament and Hagakure had destroyed all of her opponents once again and was now the official champion. Uraraka had dragged the rest of the girls into the tournament as well, but they were all eliminated after a couple of matches. His girlfriend had spent nearly an hour pouting, much to his amusement.

"Uraraka-san told me that the girls got into an arm-wrestling competition a while ago and that Hagakure-san is crazy strong. She's also pretty fast and moves undetected since her quirk gives her stealth." Izuku explained while they did the dishes.

"Sounds like you have a lot of fun with your friends." Inko remarked and rinsed of another plate that she then handed to him. She had been pleasantly surprised when Izuku had insisted he help with the dishes.

"I do!" His smile was so bright that it made Inko's heart soar. Gone was the lonely, shy boy her son had been and here was this happy, young man who had found precious friends. She would have to thank Ochaco, Iida and Todoroki for helping Izuku overcome his demons. Actually, she had to thank the young girl for more than that. The brunette was probably a big part of why her Izuku had become so cheerful.

"Make sure you bring Ochaco next time you come home." Inko instructed him and returned to the remaining dishes. Izuku consented, but was left feeling puzzled.

* * *

On the way back from his mom's place, Izuku was supposed to meet All Might. His mentor had not been able to oversee his training as of late and they were going to discuss what the retired hero wanted to introduce Izuku to next. They had booked the gym until 9 PM, when most of the other students would have been done with their workouts.

On the train ride home the freckled boy spent his time thinking about what his mom had told him about not being scared of intimacy. Izuku had never had a girlfriend before – heck he wasn't even sure he'd had a crush on anyone before Uraraka, so he was in completely new territory. He didn't know how to _be_ in a relationship. He knew that people went on dates and kissed, but surely there was more to it than that? He knew there was a lot of trust and friendship between him and Uraraka, but he also wanted to explore the romantic aspects and he wanted to make her happy. Izuku wanted to go on a date and hold Uraraka's hand the entire day.

He knew that his girlfriend liked animals so the zoo or an aquarium wouldn't be a bad idea. It had been a while since Izuku had been to an amusement park and he was certain Uraraka would love. She seemed like the type to go on thrill rides or the ones with free falls. Or they could pack lunch and go for a picnic in a park nearby. It would be great if there was one with a lot of flowers or a lake, so they could rent a boat. As for lunch, he could surprise her and make everything by himself or ask her to make it with him. He knew it was probably the hormones, as his mother had put it, but Izuku constantly wanted to spend time with her. They had seen each other as much as possible, but puppy love controlled his brain, so he felt that it wasn't nearly enough. That was also another reason why he wanted to go on a date, so they would be away from the dorm and their classmates. Their friends had been great overall and respected their privacy, but it would be nice to be out and not have to worry that anyone was watching from the sidelines or laughing at their shyness.

Izuku got off the train still deep in thought. A plan for their first date was slowly coming together, but he wanted to confirm it with Uraraka before finalizing it. He wanted to make sure she had a say in whatever they ended up doing, so that she felt included and not forced to play along.

He had been so focused on his planning that he didn't notice he had almost made it back to campus. The guards by the gate greeted him and granted him entry and Izuku pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. He was meeting All Might at the gym and had prepared his workout gear and bag beforehand. The aspiring hero broke into a run when he noticed he was cutting it pretty close. He had just made it inside after changing when the retired hero showed up in the otherwise empty gym.

"There you are Young Midoriya!" He called out and approached. All Might didn't have his arm in a caste anymore, but his gait had yet to return back to normal. He briefly surveyed the hall and was pleased to notice that the other students had already left. It made his job easier.

"Sorry I'm late." Izuku apologized, panting slightly. All Might patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"No worries. We should get right into it, there isn't much time left before you have to leave the gym." His mentor waved his apology off and handed him the new updated routines.

As All Might went over each exercise, its purpose and the benefits of it, Izuku couldn't help but feel that his mentor was watching him very closely. Ever since the day in the park where he had learned about Nighteye's foresight, Izuku had felt it even harder to talk to All Might about things that were on his mind. As his heir, the young hero felt that he should be able to tell his mentor everything and that it was holding him back that he hadn't been entirely honest with the former #1. For now, he would stick with the training and maybe he would be able to bring up some of his problems later.

"I see that your technique has improved once again, I'm proud of you." All Might praised him after he landed a particularly tricky maneuver. For now they were working on fine tune his fine control and improving maneuverability.

"Thank you…" He managed to huff out. Izuku used his wrist to wipe away sweat from his forehead. They had been going at it for nearly an hour and the teenager was reaching his limit. All Might seemed to also have noticed it and called for their practice to end.

"I'm happy to see you doing so well." The former pro commented once Izuku had caught his breath.

' _Only in training',_ he thought wryly but wisely kept his mouth shut. All Might didn't know what he had been hiding so there was no reason for Izuku to be a brat. His mentor had been nothing short of supportive, it was Izuku himself who failed to reach out and ask for help. Why? Because it was embarrassing. Izuku had realized a while ago that it was the real reason he didn't want to confide in anyone. He was training to become a hero, but a few incidents had already shaken him up so much that he dreamt about them months later. How was that not pathetic? Izuku shook his head to get rid of the thoughts once he recognized the turn they were taking. He could have a pity party for himself later.

"Is something on your mind?" All Might asked tentatively, but with a knowing look in his eyes. Izuku felt like the former hero was staring right into the depths of his soul. It looked like he already knew what was going through Izuku's head.

"Um, there is something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." There was no use hiding it if All Might already knew about his nightmares. Maybe he could help put Izuku's mind to ease?

"Ah, of course. Here you go." All Might rummaged through one of his pockets and dropped a tiny foiled packet into Izuku's palm. He slowly turned it over in his hands a couple of times, trying to recognize it.

"What's this?" Izuku asked curiously. If he didn't know any better, he would think it was-

"A condom." Izuku dropped the packet as though it had burned him. All Might merely raised a brow when his protégé's face turned crimson and he started stuttering.

"N-no, I, uhh-" The poor boy tried to formulate a complete sentence but his tongue tied knots on itself. His face was on fire and he wanted to die.

"You and Young Uraraka are a thing now, right? I figured it was better to give it to you in the early stages, so you were prepared. I wasn't sure if you knew how to use them, so I wanted to instruct you first. Know that I wholeheartedly support you and that I am happy for you from the bottom of my heart, but if you are going to be having sex anytime soon, you have to use proper protection," All Might gauged Izuku's reaction. His face was red, but it could also be the effect of his workout, so the former hero continued without any remorse. "There are many things going through the mind when you are young and in love, and sometimes accidents happen. If they happen you have to take responsibility, but you are both still young so I will encourage you to always be safe and-"

"No!" Izuku managed to choke out. He had to bury his face in his hands to get the words over his lips, "We're not… having s-sex…" Saying it out loud was a thousand times more embarrassing than he had anticipated. First his mom, now All Might!

"Are you dating?" He asked Izuku patiently after picking up the fallen packet. Izuku managed to nod.

"Then you are going to need this," All Might placed the offending item back into Izuku's hand. "Listen closely, Young Midoriya. The first thing you want to do when the time comes is-" And so the poor boy had to spend another thirty minutes of his life listening to the talk about the birds and the bees.

"-going to be your first time, so be careful and do everything at your own pace. Communication is key, understand? Any questions?" All Might felt like he had mentioned every important part and figured Young Midoriya would ask if there was anything he had missed, he was a bright boy after all.

"No.." Izuku's voice was barely audible. Satisfied, All Might nodded and took his leave.

Izuku stayed for a while and fought to get his blushing under control. He still had to stretch and cool down, so he distracted himself while All Might's lecture echoed in the recesses of his mind. When the time came, Izuku was certainly ready in theory. His mentor and All Might had told him that sometimes things didn't go as planned and that he shouldn't panic. He had also insisted that Izuku kept the condom and explained to him how to get more, but Izuku swore that he would die of heart attack if he ever attempted something so embarrassing.

"Are you done?" A feminine voice behind him made him jump. Although he recognized her right away, Izuku hadn't heard her enter at all and his face turned red again when he saw Uraraka come to a halt next to him.

"Y-yeah, almost." He squeaked and hurried to his next stretching exercise so that his back was to her. He still had needed to do a couple more exercises, and it wasn't like he couldn't face Uraraka, his Girlfriend™, because of all the things he had learned about sex that day, no of course not – that would be absurd!

"I had a hunch you would be here." She laughed and the sound sent pleasant waves down his spine. His face heated up again when uninvited thoughts about what other sounds she could make popped into his mind. Izuku frantically waved his hands above his head, hoping to dispel the inappropriate thoughts.

"Yeah, All Might and the other teachers have worked out a new program for me to test. To gain more control. Um." He finished lamely, not daring to look at her. If she noticed he was acting strange, she didn't say anything for which he was grateful. He just needed to calm down, she was his girlfriend for crying out loud.

"I brought you this." Uraraka held out a bottle of water that still had condensation on the surface and he gratefully accepted it. As he unscrewed the lid and took a sip, she rocked back and forth on her feet.

"I missed you." She smiled shyly and came to sit down next to him. Yeah, he was not calming down anytime soon.

"H-how did revision go?" Izuku steered the conversation to a more neutral topic. He silently apologized to her for not returning her words and hoped she would forgive him, when he one day gathered the courage to tell her what had happened to make him so embarrassed.

"It went fine until-" Uraraka launched into an explanation and described a problem she had encountered in math. Being the bookworm he was, Izuku couldn't help but offer his advice on how she could solve it. They picked up Izuku's things and headed for the door, but once outside the cool wind felt so nice that they ended up staying outside for fifteen minutes. Izuku eventually brought up his plans for their first date and asked what she would like to do. Uraraka brightened instantly and enthusiastically took part. So far the plan was to go to an aquarium and eat lunch at a café. She also sounded pumped about watching a movie together or go bowling, and Izuku filed those suggestions away for future reference. He had also kept quiet about having a picnic in a park and decided that he would surprise her some time.

It wasn't long before they headed back inside, hand in hand, and both equally excited.

* * *

As it turned out, their date would have to wait. That night Ochaco and Izuku met up with Kirishima and Tsuyu on the first floor – all looking grave. The wait was finally over. Eri was getting rescued. They spoke in hushed voices, hoping not to wake any of their other classmates and decided on a time to meet before heading out. The four students split up, Tsuyu leaving ahead of Ochaco after briefly exchanging looks with her. Luckily, Kirishima was too tired to check if the others were following him and stumbled towards the elevator, yawning.

Izuku's stomach felt like lead. He had been so preoccupied with his personal life that he had thought very little about Eri. At least, he had tried not to think about her until the time was right and now he was feeling overwhelmed.

"Are you okay?" Uraraka appeared beside Izuku and put a hand on his arm. There was a frown on her face as she looked at him in concern. Izuku shook his head and took her hand, leading her towards the stairs.

"Not here." He replied quietly and headed for his room. It was the closest and hopefully, Izuku's neighbors were all asleep, so they would be able to talk a little more freely.

They made it inside without incident and settled onto the bed in silence, sitting side by side. Izuku leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs, putting his head in his hands and sighing deeply. Ochaco's hand came to rest on his back after a moment of hesitation. Izuku looked up from his hands and cracked a tired smile in her direction, looking worse for wear.

"Will you be okay tomorrow?" Ochaco asked fretfully. She knew how important this rescue operation was to her boyfriend and she also had a pretty good idea of how hard it was on him. The way he frowned as he considered her question didn't put her at ease.

"We have to succeed. No matter what." Izuku replied, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. Sighing again, Izuku moved to put his head on her shoulder and inhaled deeply. Uraraka's scent was a great source of comfort to him and he secretly wished she would stay there the rest of the night and bring him strength. As it was, he would have to make do with the support she was offering right now.

The dimness of Izuku's room served to hide the reddening of Ochaco's face from him. Instead, she reached for his hand and grasped it tightly in her own. She was having her own doubts at the moment, but chose not to voice them. She had faith that they would succeed, but she was also scared that Deku would end up getting hurt. It had happened so many times already and while she wished for nothing more than him being safe, the rational part of her also knew that no one's safety was guaranteed on this type of mission. The scariest part was the knowledge that Deku would stop at nothing until Eri was rescued.

The brunette glanced at him and was relieved to see that his face looked more relaxed than it had since they met up. The worry lines that had marked his face moments ago had smoothened, and left was the face of the boy she had come to love. After a few minutes, she felt his breathing slowing and his head slipping off her shoulder. She gently shook him awake and he lifted his head off her shoulder, looking at her blearily. Ochaco fought the impulse to kiss him in his sleepy state and forced herself to let go of his hand. She felt like kissing him now would be taking advantage of him, since his guard was down.

"I should go." She whispered, heart constricting at the sight of Deku pouting. She knew that she had to leave otherwise none of them would be able to fall asleep and Deku really needed to rest. She had to be strong for both of them.

"Alright." Izuku nodded and suppressed a yawn. He hadn't been that tired a little while ago, but now his exhaustion hit him full force. Both of the aspiring heroes were aware that every minute of rest counted. They couldn't afford to be selfish and lose sleep to stay up together – not that sleep would come easy. Still, it was better to at least attempt to rest.

Ochaco got up from the bed and slowly headed for the door. Izuku followed her and stopped when her hand stilled on the door knob. Had it not been for the sleep shrouding his mind and the darkness in the room, he would have seen her shoulders tense and noticed her inhale sharply before she whirled around and threw her arms around him. Surprised, Izuku took half a step back before supporting their combined weight. Uraraka was clutching him like a lifeline and had her face buried in his chest. Izuku's arms came around her a moment later and he felt her take a shuddering breath.

"Uraraka-san?" He attempted, unsure of himself. She lifted her head and locked eyes with him.

"Promise me you'll be careful tomorrow." The intensity of her words was mirrored in her eyes, but Izuku also saw fear and pain across her face and it made him want to kick himself when he realized that _he_ was the cause of those feelings. She looked at him pleadingly, waiting for his response.

"I promise." He moved to take her face into his hands and planted a kiss on her forehead. Ochaco's hands came up to rest on his wrists and she took a few seconds to regain her composure before stepping back.

"Okay. Goodnight." She whispered as she opened the door and silently crept down the hallway. The door shut with a soft click and Izuku was left alone in his room.

He stayed in the same spot for a couple of moments, his gaze fixed on the door his girlfriend had closed. He had to do better. He couldn't keep worrying the important people in his life like that. All Might needed him to grow up more than ever and his mom could do without the stress of his frequent injuries. Uraraka shouldn't have to worry that he would do something rash.

With a deep sigh Izuku made his way back to his bed and fell into a restless slumber, dreading the outcome of his upcoming mission.

* * *

After the nightmare that turned out to be Eri's rescue, all involved heroes and students were finally released from the hospital and returned to their respective homes. Class 1A welcomed their classmates back with open arms and comforting words, but no amount of soothing could help with the casualties and losses that the young heroes had experienced. Although they had been affected by the events, the four of them knew they had to overcome their feelings surrounding the mission sooner or later.

Izuku had mourned the loss of Nighteye with everyone else, but it was still hard to grasp that Sir was no longer going to be sitting behind his desk at Nighteye HQ, filing away papers. He had died for their cause, for what was right and if his last words were anything to go by, his life had been good. Izuku spent a great deal of time thinking about what it meant when someone died. He didn't remember ever knowing someone who passed away before Sir Nighteye, but the hero's death had shaken him.

All Might, the never faltering hero, had been reduced to tears when he saw Nighteye at his deathbed. Seeing his mentor vulnerable and grieving had reminded Izuku how precious life was and that there was no guarantee that you would live to see another day. The aspiring hero had counted his blessings and made sure to hug his mother tighter than usual when she came to visit him in the hospital. Inko had obviously been scared, but she had also been relieved that Izuku wasn't injured gravely.

That had been a couple of days ago.

The four students had returned to their daily routine and were trying to get things back to normal. Izuku's nightmares had returned and he could feel himself distancing himself from his friends. The closer he was with them, the worse his nightmares became. The dreams he had been having about his mom, Uraraka and All Might were the worst. Izuku would wake up barely suppressing a scream and be completely drenched with sweat. He would yank away the covers and stumble into his bathroom, where he started retching. Those dreams left him shaking and dizzy, but he would crawl back to bed and try to forget them.

Ochaco had noticed right away that something was wrong with Deku and she watched him closely for a couple of days. He was barely eating and she could tell he definitely wasn't sleeping, but the way he closed in on himself hurt her more than anything. Even though she had a pretty good idea of what was going on, she wanted him to come to her and tell her what was bothering him, instead of having to guess it on her own. Every time she tried to ask him, he would insist that he was fine, but the dark circles beneath his eyes betrayed him. The brunette barely saw him outside of classes and meals.

Midoriya spent less time with his friends and they had all noticed it. Iida, Todoroki and Ochaco had spoken about what to do to prevent him from shutting himself off completely, but so far they had reached no conclusion. In the end, Ochaco decided to give him an ultimatum. Either he would go to Aizawa-sensei or his mother, or Ochaco would drag him in front of Recovery Girl and let the old lady crack open his skull and peer into his brain. When she told him this, his eyes had widened with realization and guilt flooded over him. They were sitting on his bed again after a long day, both tired after classes. There was still time left before dinner and Ochaco had had enough of Deku ignoring his mental health, so she had marched up to his room and dropped the bomb on him.

"I'm sorry, Uraraka-san. I haven't been a very good person to be around lately," he apologized. "I guess I'm still coping with everything that happened." His apology was sincere, but the brunette needed him to understand that he needed help.

"You are still recovering and that's okay, but you're doing the exact opposite of what you asked me to do a while back." Ochaco sighed and caressed his face. She smiled when he leaned into her touch. They were gradually getting better at handling loving touches from each other, but it was still embarrassing at times.

"What?" Izuku asked and tried to figure out what she was referring to. She moved her hand from his cheek and into his hair, where she started massaging his scalp. Izuku almost purred at the sensation.

"You asked me to rely on you and our friends, so now I am asking the same of you." Ochaco stopped her fingers from moving and locked eyes with him. She fought against the trance his eyes always put her in and tried her best to convey her message anyway.

"Oh." Deku had the grace to look ashamed. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked up at her through his bangs, "I did say that." He looked thoughtful for a moment, but remained quiet.

"So?" Ochaco prompted and retracted her hand. She leaned back against the wall and watched him. You could almost see the gears in his head turning.

A few moments of silence passed while he thought hard about what to do. When he realized that there was one thing he had been avoiding for a long time that he really should get done, he slumped backwards with a thud. Ochaco took his hand and squeezed his hand in silent understanding. Then she scooted closer to him and leaned against his side, closing her eyes briefly.

"I'll go with you." She offered. Ochaco smiled when she felt Deku drop a kiss on the crown of her head and whisper thanks. They spent the rest of the time talking about his reoccurring nightmares and what they were going to do about them.

* * *

Izuku hadn't expected to visit his mother so soon, but there he was, in front of the door and taking deep breaths. Today was the day. True to her word, Uraraka had accompanied him and was fidgeting beside him.

"What's wrong?" He asked and grabbed her hand, momentarily distracted from his inner turmoil.

"I'm nervous for some reason. It's the first time I'm greeting your mom after… becoming your girlfriend." She whispered the last part and looked away to hide her blushing face, but Izuku found it adorable and squeezed her hand to assure her it would be fine.

Once they both were ready, they entered.

"Mom, I'm home!" Izuku called out like he did every time. Coco was already waiting patiently in the entrance and Ochaco nearly squealed when she saw the feline.

"Welcome home." Inko appeared a moment later and engulfed them both in a hug. She had gone into protective-mother-hen-mode after their recent and her protectiveness had been extended to Ochaco after she learned that the brunette had also been involved in Eri's rescue.

"I'm so glad you're both okay." Inko squeezed them tightly, letting all her love wash over them. She felt both teenagers relax against her and was relieved that she didn't see any bandages anywhere.

"Yeah." Izuku replied quietly, meeting Uraraka's eyes when his mother let go of them. She nodded encouragingly and he swallowed nervously, mentally preparing himself. Movement near his feet made him look down and he saw Coco rubbing against his leg, offering her support.

"Actually mom, there is something we need to talk about…" He started slowly. Inko, bless her soul, took one look at him and nodded leading them both into the living room. On the way, she squeezed Ochaco into a side-hug and welcomed her into the family as though she was already her daughter-in-law. The brunette blushed and told her she would be in her care from now on.

They all settled into the sofa, Izuku in the middle with Coco on his lap and the two most important females in his life on either side of him. He took a deep breath and started telling from the beginning. It took time to get through everything and he spoke and spoke for ages. Some things he left out, which Uraraka couldn't fault him for, but overall he got everything off his chest and leaned back, entirely drained. He had been dreading this moment for months and now it was almost over.

Somewhere along the way, tears had started flowing down Inko's cheeks, but she had remained quiet while Izuku spoke. She had taken his hand when he had gotten to a particularly difficult part and she had been happy to note that Ochaco had done the same across the sofa.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone, honey." She apologized over and over again, weeping silently. It had broken her heart to hear Izuku describe his dreams and she had a feeling he didn't provide her with all the details. She felt that she had failed him once again by not noticing that he was hiding something for so long. Truth be told, she suspected it and Izuku was a professional and almost an adult so she had to respect the boundaries he sat – even if they meant she was kept in the dark.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you. I felt so weak and scared all the time." He replied and moved to wipe the tears from her eyes. The small gesture made Inko cry even harder and she pulled Izuku into another hug. As she held him close with one arm, she also reached over and took one of Ochaco's hands, squeezing it. The brunette's eyes were also brimming with tears and Inko mouthed her thanks to the young girl, who squeezed her hand back. Coco had fled from Izuku's lap into Ochaco's when she felt Inko move and was snuggled into the brunette, snoozing away peacefully despite the commotion next to her.

They sat like that for a few minutes, Inko promising that everything would be okay and she would take care of them. They didn't have to worry about anything, just leave it all to her, she would fix it. Ochaco missed her parents even more in that instance, but she was incredibly grateful that this kind woman was protecting her as well. It was nice to be cared for. It was also painfully clear where Deku's compassion and his need to save others stemmed from. Maybe Inko had been his biggest hero all this time? The brunette filed the thought away for later inspection.

It took some time, but Inko finally ran out of tears and excused herself for a while. She needed to compose herself and she had to figure out a couple of things, so she left the two teenagers alone and headed for her bedroom. Coco also abandoned them and followed Inko to console the distraught woman. When he heard his mom's door shut, Izuku slumped onto Ochaco's shoulder and had his arms around her. She had folded her legs under her so she could hold him better and watched quietly as his chest rose and fell.

His eyes were closed and she could see all the stress and tension on his face slowly melt away. His skin had been a little pale these past few days, but now his nose and eyes were tinged red from almost crying earlier. Opening up about his nightmares had been incredibly hard for him and Ochaco vowed to protect her precious boy at all costs. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead and was startled when his eyes opened. He lifted his head and looked straight at her, warmth returning to his gaze as he leaned forward.

"Thank you." He whispered and pressed his lips to hers in short, sweet kiss. He nuzzled her nose with his own before leaning back down. His thank you had spanned over multiple things, for being there with him, for supporting him always, for making him stronger and helping him move forward, but he didn't need to voice them all for her to understand. She already knew.

"Always." Ochaco replied and held him tighter. He smiled into her shoulder and stayed there. His warmth was comforting and his scent engulfed her and made her feel at ease.

They sat together in silence both deep in thought, but they were also aware that eventually they would be okay. It was going to be a hard, slow process but it was a challenge they would overcome together. Time would heal them and until then, they had each other to seek comfort from.

 _End._

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 **Oh gosh was that super corny to end on? Anywho, my boy did it. He told his mom and we got some DadMight (hin: more to come). Don't kill me for not making them go on their date! You should know me by now lol, of course I made them suffer instead. Hope you all have an amazing week, peace out (=w=)/**


	30. Epilogue

**A/N: Surprise! Today is Izuku's birthday, so I decided to give you all an epilogue. Thank you for all the love you've given my story, and happy birthday my son.**

 **Warning! Graphic description of injuries and violence. Read at own risk.**

* * *

 _Epilogue_

As sunny and sweltering as it was during the late summer, Principal Nezu was still dressed immaculately as ever. Although the air was thick with humidity, the mouse-dog-bear head of U.A. High School didn't bother with turning on the air conditioning in his office. It wasn't unusual for the rector to be seated at his desk and have his head turned towards the humongous window in his office as he was presently. It was, however, unusual for him to completely disregard the beeping of the intercom resounding from his desk.

Nezu prided himself on always thinking calmly and rationally before making any decision and always weighing the pros against the cons. Facts always outweighed speculation and there was a solution for every problem encountered, it was only a matter of finding it. Those were the reasons behind the principal's quiet nature. As it had turned out time and time again, having a considerate, thoughtful and logical approach to life had served him great – especially in times of crisis – and being the person in charge of an institution as big as UA required such skills. He needed these skills now more than ever.

A series of knocks sounded on the doors and brought Nezu out of his reverie. He looked away from the window and sucked in a deep breath, willing his worries to disappear so he could portray himself as the unmovable principal of the most prestigious high school in Japan.

"Come in." He called and turned in his seat to sit properly at the desk. He had been expecting them for a while now, but their presence didn't bring him the calm he had hoped.

"Pardon the intrusion." Detective Tsukauchi entered with Recovery Girl in tow. The elderly nurse wore a grim expression and was silent, testifying to the feeling of dread in Nezu.

"Please have a seat." Principal Nezu gestured to the plush chairs opposite of his desk and waited while his colleagues seated themselves. A huff of effort left Recovery Girl as she hopped onto the chair and settled down.

"I'm afraid we come bearing bad news." Tsukauchi's back was straight while he spoke, but Nezu knew the stiffness of his posture was a worrying sign. He had worked with the detective on numerous occasions and never had a ramrod straight back been good news. Coupled with Shuzenji's silence, Nezu could almost guess what they were here to tell them.

"It is true then? That she was one of ours?" The principal sighed sadly. It had been on the news all morning after all. The detective shuffled around papers that he had pulled out from his bag and nodded.

"A second year student." Tsukauchi confirmed and pushed a file towards the principal. Nezu placed a paw on top of the file and pulled it closer. He flipped it open and his eyes fell on a small picture attached to the corner of the first page. It was a young girl with long black hair wearing U.A.'s uniform. Nezu recognized the girl in the picture immediately. She had been a candidate for a position in the student council and would always politely greet him if they crossed paths on campus.

"Her condition?" The principal asked as his eyes swiftly scanned the information on the paper in front of him. He felt his fur stand on edge when he flipped to the pictures that the police had taken of her injuries.

"She is out of surgery and resting, but showed signs of heavy trauma." Recovery Girl finally spoke. Chiyo had seen much during her lifetime, but she would never get used to seeing children being beaten bloody. The state they had brought the girl in had the nurse's blood boiling, even now.

"The extent of her injuries?" Nezu dreaded the answer, but knew it was his duty to ask. Tsukauchi signaled for the nurse to go ahead and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Recovery Girl took a deep breath and started listing the endless injuries discovered on the girl – both old and new. Broken wrist from being shackled for days, bruised ribs from being kicked, countless fractured bones, bruises around her neck from attempted strangulation, cuts all over her body, puncture marks from needles and countless, old scars on her back and many, many more.

"The poor girl." Nezu exhaled slowly and put his paws together in front of him. He felt rage bubbling in the pit of his stomach upon hearing all of his student's injuries.

It was beyond him how anyone would do something so horrible to an innocent, young girl. It was a small consolation that the villains responsible for her kidnapping had been caught and faced severe consequences. Despite his desire to punish them himself, Nezu would let the authorities deal with the perpetrators accordingly. What he could do was to ensure that his student would get all the help she needed and make sure she was safe at all times.

"Since she was involved as a civilian, U.A. doesn't face any backlash despite all the scrutiny lately. I do think, however, that it would be wise to release a statement with regards to how you will help her. It will increase your credibility if people know you are actively trying to help one of your students." Tsukauchi ran a hand down his face. He hadn't gotten any sleep these past two days and was in desperate need of a shower. The rescue operation had taken all of his focus, but he wasn't relieved of his duties yet.

"No. I refuse to use her as an example. What happened to this girl is beyond horrible and we should do everything in our power to ensure that her name stays out of this." Recovery Girl looked at the detective with a fierce glint in her eye.

The elderly nurse had been sent in after the initial rescue to tend to the wounded. At the time they had only known that there was one girl being held captive, no that she was a student at UA. Where she attended school didn't matter, of course, but Chiyo would fight tooth and nail for this girl's identity to be protected. She couldn't forget the state they had found her in. She had been starved, beaten and was barely coherent by the time the heroes and police arrived. The poor girl had been somewhat responsive until Chiyo arrived, but once she recognized the school nurse, she had smiled and thanked Chiyo for saving her with blood, tears and dirt smeared over her face. Recovery Girl would not forget that look of relief on her face for a long time.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like you should use her as an example. I still think it would be beneficial to take a stand publicly and show that she will get the help and support that she needs from her school," Tsukauchi explained. He had not intended to sound insensitive or selfish, but there was much to gain from the publicity. An image of All Might at his strongest flashed through the detective's mind, but he quickly whisked the thought away. All Might was not going to solve all their problems; they had to solve them on their own.

"I will not allow it." Recovery Girl's tone was calm and without any fire, but she was determined. She was not going to let any repercussions damage the girl any further.

"As much as I understand your points, Tsukauchi-kun, I agree with Recovery Girl. The young lady has been through a highly traumatizing experience, and we should focus our efforts into supporting her recovery. Until she becomes stable enough to talk to us, we should continue to investigate her background and find out what caused the scars on her back. I think we should handle this with utmost discretion for her sake." Principal Nezu looked from one colleague to another as he spoke. Chiyo looked pleased and the creases on her forehead diminished slightly. While Tsukauchi nodded his agreement, he didn't look less worn out.

"In that case, we should consider moving her to a safe-house or special clinic of some sort for safety reasons. The girl lives by herself and I think it would be unwise to leave her unsupervised until she is cleared by the doctors. Not to mention she'll have to undergo physical therapy and receive counseling to cope with the incident." Tsukauchi straightened up once more and leaned over the desk to look at her file. There were a number of things he had to investigate, but first they had to settle the matter of the second-year student's safety and recovery. Glancing at the picture of the victim, Tsukauchi felt a stab of sorrow. She was a pretty, young lady whose life was now in shambles.

"She may be an aspiring heroine, but that doesn't mean she'll have no help to deal with her trauma. We will of course ask her consent if she is coherent when she wakes up, but UA's resources are at your disposal." Principal Nezu told the detective, who nodded gratefully.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"I will be heading back to the hospital she is admitted in after our meeting. I'll keep you posted." Recovery Girl hopped out of her chair and slowly made her way to the doors. Tsukauchi gathered the file from the desk and bid principal Nezu goodbye. He still had to submit a report at the police station, and exhaustion was catching up to him fast. The door closed behind him and silence once again filled the room.

A couple of minutes after Tsukauchi and Recovery Girl left his office, the principal reached for the phone on the corner of his desk that he had been ignoring before. Pushing the button to call the administration, he waited as patiently as possible while a plan formed in his mind.

"Call for Aizawa-sensei, please." Nezu told the secretary at the other end of the line and leaned back in his chair. The principal replayed his conversation with detective Tsukauchi and Recovery Girl in his mind and picked apart each bit of information they had given him.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door and Aizawa entered looking as indifferent as usual. If one looked carefully, they would be able to see the slight crease between his brows – a telltale sign of stress.

"How is it coming along?" Nezu asked, skipping the formalities and cutting straight to the chase. Aizawa didn't need any explanation, but sighed before replying.

"I've compiled a list of every student and monitored them for the past month. It is exactly as we feared. There are several students who show signs of distress, but no one has reached out to any of the teachers." Eraserhead tugged at his scarves and scratched his neck.

"I am sure you've already heard about the kidnapping of a teenage girl on the news," Nezu asked and Aizawa nodded, "as it turns out, she is a second-year student here at U.A." The twitch in Aizawa's eye indicated that he had suspected it, but hadn't gotten it confirmed before now.

"She looked familiar." Although his voice sounded detached, Nezu knew how much it pained Aizawa when any of the students got hurt. This incident was one of the worst in many years, hence Eraserhead's stony expression. His self-control was admirable, but Nezu was not fooled by his mask of indifference. Aizawa's own class had been struggling for a while, so the homeroom teacher was likely at wits end, but to hear of another student being kidnapped and tortured for days probably didn't do him any favors.

"Please sit." Nezu gestured to the chairs that had been occupied minutes before. As Aizawa took a seat, Nezu couldn't help but notice the shaky exhale that came from one of his most trusted staff members. The principal felt bad for Eraser, but ultimately they had to come up with a solution to this problem, so there was no use procrastinating. Very quickly, Nezu filled him in and marveled at how Aizawa's expression hardened, yet remained emotionless when hearing about the victim's countless injuries.

"Has she regained consciousness?" Aizawa finally asked, his voice gruff. The pro hero didn't slouch, but if one didn't know any better, it would seem as though he was slouching in his chair.

Nezu shook his head, "No, not yet. Recovery Girl is headed to the hospital and will let us know."

"Have her parents been notified?" The pro hero scratched his chin, contemplating.

"Yes, detective Tsukauchi is currently trying to meet up with them." Nezu placed both paws on top of the table, a habit of his he had developed over years of addressing taller people.

"I see."

"The reason I called you is actually related to today's incident. The victim will be placed under police protection and will have to undergo therapy for the foreseeable future. Although her kidnapping wasn't related to U.A., we will be working closely with the police and the doctors to assist in any way." Nezu started slowly and opened the drawer on his right, where he pulled out a file.

"There is something I have been considering for a while now and I think it is about time we implement something new at U.A. What you are telling me about your students only enforces this idea." Nezu pushed the file in front of Aizawa, who opened the very first page and raised a brow.

"And what idea would that be?" Eraser scanned the page quickly and pushed the file back. He already had a hunch, but wanted the principal to confirm it.

"We call in the experts."

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 **I hope you're all enjoying your summer (=w=)/**


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